Operation: Turnabout
by Sailor Moonie Fan
Summary: Sequel to Turnabout Mystery; after the arrest of the Bandits, things have gone back to normal for everyone, even Miles Edgeworth. However, what happens when a new threat comes to town? Will Edgeworth be able to handle tracking down another major criminal? And what exactly are these special plans that Trucy, Athena, and a new friend apparently have for him? (Multi-character fic)
1. Turnabout Beginning

**Here's the first chapter of this story. I just couldn't resist working on it and posting it. Hope you guys like it! **

**_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Ace Attorney series characters!_**

Chapter 1 – Turnabout Beginning (Sorry I couldn't come up with anything more creative…)

"Feenie! You didn't have to do all of this, you know!"

"My girlfriend deserves the best!"

Phoenix Wright and Iris Fey were at the observation deck at the Big Tower. It was in the evening, when the Pegasus statue was all lit up.

Iris looked at the statue in wonder, and then turned around to hold Phoenix's hand. "Feenie. I'm so happy you brought me here, but…wasn't it expense? I heard that it costs quite a bit for admission up here."

Phoenix waved his hand in the air. "No problem. It wasn't too expensive…" _Okay, maybe it was a little expensive, but that's fine! _"Plus, I wanted to bring you to the perfect place for our one month anniversary."

"Well it's perfect! I love it here!" She kissed his cheek, leaving some of her lipgloss on it, not that Phoenix minded or anything.

"I knew you would! And you know what they say about this place?" Iris shook her head. He squeezed her hand. "Couples that hold hands here are said to be happy forever."

She blushed at that. "Really?"

He nodded, smiling at her. "Really." He walked them over to the edge, where they looked out to see the beautiful lit up city.

"It's so nice up here, isn't it Feenie? The view's great!"

"It really is."

"I wonder what Trucy and the others are doing back at the agency."

"Hm…" Phoenix tapped his chin. "I'm sure they're all having a good time with each other."

* * *

"YOU CHEATED APOLLO!"

"NO I DIDN'T!"

"YES YOU DID!"

"NO I DIDN'T!"

"DID!"

"DIDN'T!"

"DID! DID! DID!"

"DIDN'T! DIDN'T! DIDN'T!"

"CAN YOU TWO PLEASE STOP ARGUING FOR CRYING OUT LOUD?!" The two defense attorney's immediately stopped and turned their attention to the young magician. They each opened their mouth, about to complain about the other when they were shushed. "I don't want to hear another word from either of you! I thought it would be nice for all of us to play a nice game of Go-Fish, but nooooo. You two just had to start arguing."

"That's because Athena can't admit defeat. She hates losing! Sore loser!"

"But Apollo was cheating! I know it!"

"Sh! Both of you! I've had it up to here with you two! Now Athena, I want you to go in that corner near Charley, and Apollo, I want you to go in the opposite corner," Trucy Wright pointed to the locations.

"But..."

"No buts! If you don't listen to me, I'll tell on you guys to Daddy!"

Apollo Justice and Athena Cykes quietly went to their designated corners of the room and sat there silently.

Trucy shook her head. _Daddy said that Polly and Athena were here to babysit me, but I really think I'm babysitting them. _She sighed heavily. _Now what am I going to do? _

There was a knock on the door. "Coming!" Trucy opened and was surprised to see that it was… "Prosecutor Blackquill! Hi! Come on in!"

"Hello Wr…I mean, Trucy. I was just here to see Athena," the proscecutor said as he entered the Wright Anything Agency. He saw how Athena was sitting facing one corner, and Apollo was in another corner.

"As you can see, they're in time out right now. They don't know how to get along with each other."

"Hmph," Simon smirked. Before he could make a sassy comment though, he was interrupted by Trucy.

"Oh, oh! Prosecutor Blackquill! Would you like to play a game of cards with me?!"

Simon hadn't exactly come to the agency with the intent of playing with the young Wright; however, seeing her eager face, he couldn't help it. "Er…sure. I'll play with you."

"Yay!" She quickly sat down and got the cards together.

Athena had turned around finally. "Hey Simon!"

Trucy turned around. "Sh! No talking while you're in timeout!"

"But he's my boyfriend!"

"Ah, ah, ah." Simon pointed his finger at Athena. "You heard her. No talking while you're in timeout."

Athena turned around, crossing her arms in a huff. _I think those two are enjoying this more than they should be._

* * *

Phoenix had escorted Iris back to her apartment and was now at the door to the agency. He found his keys and opened the door. The sight he saw was quite…unexpected. It was one thing that Apollo and Athena were sitting in different corners, but what really caught Phoenix off-guard was that Simon Blackquill was wielding one of Trucy's magic wands and in a pose. Trucy was mirroring his pose, holding onto another one of her wands.

"What…is going on here?" Phoenix asked, clearly confused.

Trucy looked up. "Hi Daddy! Prosecutor Blackquill here was showing me some cool sword-wielding techniques! I think they'd be pretty cool for me to use in some of my magic shows!"

Phoenix addressed Simon. "Prosecutor Blackquill. What are you doing here?"

The prosecutor put down the magic wand and stood up straight. "I was here to visit Athena, but I figured I'd stay and…play with Trucy."

_It was probably more like Trucy begged him to stay and play with her…given his facial expression. _"And…what's the deal with Apollo and Athena in the corner? Are they in timeout or something?" Phoenix jokingly asked. He stopped smiling when Trucy nodded her head, completely serious.

"They were arguing way too much today, Daddy, so I put them in timeout!"

Phoenix laughed. "Well, I'm glad that you were such a good babysitter, Trucy." He then spoke to the two lawyers. "Your timeout is over you two. You can come out of the corner now."

Apollo and Athena slowly got up and came to the middle of the room. "Thanks for watching Trucy, Athena, Apollo. And you too Prosecutor Blackquill." He looked up at the clock. "It's getting pretty late. We should all get home."

On the way back to their apartment, Trucy asked Phoenix about his date. "Well Daddy? How was your one month anniversary date with Iris?"

"It was…it was great Trucy. It really was."

"So you both had a good time. That's good." Trucy then said a little more quietly. "It's only a matter of time when the two of you get married."

"What was that you said, Trucy?"

"What? Oh! I said it's a matter of time before school closes for the summer!" _Phew. That was a close call! _

"You're right. How many more weeks do you have, Trucy?"

"About two more weeks. And then, I'll be junior!"

Phoenix frowned. "You sound way too excited about that, Trucy."

"Come on Daddy! Being a junior means I'm one step closer to being a senior and one step closer to graduating high school!"

"Right. That's true…" _Trucy is growing up so fast. *sigh* I need to make sure I spend more time with her. Maybe she could come with Iris and me on one of our dates. _

"So Daddy. Do you have a nickname for Iris yet?"

"A…nickname? No, I don't."

"Daddy! You need to have a nickname for her! She's got such a nice one for you!"

_Well, I did once have a nickname for her, back when I thought she was her sister, but I guess Trucy's right. I should come up with a nickname for her. _

"Don't worry Daddy! I'll figure one out for you!"

"Thanks, Trucy." Phoenix wrapped an arm around his daughter. "I know I can count on you!" He then asked, "So why exactly did you put Athena and Apollo in timeout?"

* * *

"Apollo totally cheated! That's the only explanation for how I could've lost!" Athena fumed as she walked down the sidewalk.

Simon had been listening to her rant about her argument with Apollo. He finally spoke up when she had lost some of her steam. "You know, Athena. Perhaps you want to think Justice-dono cheated."

"What do you mean?" Athena sounded peeved.

"You are quite a competitive person, Athena, and you don't tend to accept defeat readily. You just don't want to admit that he beat you is all."

Athena tried to argue with him, but she couldn't. She sighed. "I guess you know me too well, don't you?"

Simon smirked. "Yes, I do know you too well. Although, I must say, you weren't this competitive when you were younger."

"Well, you weren't a lot of things you are now when you were younger, but let's not go there." She went silent for a while then spoke up. "So…how's Aura doing?"

"Aura? She's doing alright. She seems to really like being locked up in the clink, or so she says. Apparently, many of the prisoners are impressed by her robot revolution and look up to her."

_Well, that's…nice, isn't it?_ "Somehow, I'm not surprised that she'd be having a good time in jail. She always was pretty rough and tough, although, she was a lot nicer way back when."

"Yes, you're right. Anyway, do you have any new cases you're working on?"

"Nope. Not at the moment anyways. How about you?"

"No, but Chief Prosecutor said that the next case that comes up, he'll assign it to me."

"Hm, Mr. Edgeworth. I haven't seen him in a while. How is he?"

"Chief Prosecutor? He's doing well, at least, I think so. I don't see him very often unless I go to his office and have something to discuss with him."

"What do you talk to him about?"

"Court cases. What else would I talk to him about?"

"Just…wondering." She tapped her earring thoughtfully. "You know? I wonder what he does when he isn't in his office?"

Simon shot her a sideways glance. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is what does he do outside of his work? I mean, I know he sometimes comes to Trucy's magic shows, but what else does he do? I'd really hope that he has some other hobbies and activities he does other than being Chief Prosecutor."

"Being Chief Prosecutor is a hard job, Athena, and he is very dedicated to his work. But I guess you do bring up an interesting question."

"Good! So you'll ask him for me, won't you?"

"Hmph. Sorry. No can do. If you'd like to find out stuff like that, you'll have to go ask him yourself."

"Some boyfriend you are," Athena muttered.

"What was that you said?"

"Nothing!" _I guess I will have to find some time to do just that, won't I?_

* * *

The next day…

"You know something?" Athena began randomly.

Trucy was sitting with her on the couch at the Wright Anything Agency that Saturday morning. It had been a rather slow day for the two girls.

"What is it, Athena?" Trucy asked, looking up from her

"You know. Something got me thinking about something. Most of us have all found our special someones." Trucy nodded, allowing Athena to continue. "But there's one person who has yet to find his special someone."

"Who is that? I mean," Trucy started ticking off people on her finger. "Polly has Juniper, Daddy has Iris, Prosecutor Gavin…well he sort of has Ema, and…Prosecutor Blackquill's got you. Who does that leave? Unless you're talking about me, in which case, let's not even go there."

"You're forgetting one very important person."

Trucy tilted her head. "Who is…oh. Oh. Oh! I get it! You mean Mr. Edgeworth, don't you?!" Athena nodded. Trucy tapped her chin. "You're right. Mr. Edgeworth doesn't have a special someone, does he?"

"At least, not one that we know of." Athena had been pondering her conversation with Simon from the night before about the Chief Prosecutor.

"We should ask him if he does," Trucy offered casually.

"You know, Trucy. We should! How about we go pay him a visit right now?"

"Sounds good to me!"

Phoenix and Apollo came out of the office to see the two girls near the door. "Where are you two off to?" Phoenix asked.

"Oh. We're just going to go out, Daddy! We'll see you later!" With that they slammed the door closed.

The two guys stared at the door before they looked at each other. "Somehow, I feel like they're up to no good," Apollo stated.

"Hm. I get that feeling too. Well, I better get going. Iris should be waiting for me. We're going to the art museum at the university."

"Yeah. I've got to go meet Juniper at the academy. She's going to introduce me to her grandmother."

"Well, well, well. Getting introduced to the family, hm?" Phoenix teased. "You guys seem to be taking things fast. Next thing you know, you guys are going to get married."

"Mr. Wright," Apollo began. "There is no way I am going to get married right now, and especially not before you get married."

Phoenix stayed silent for a moment. "Look at the time! I'm going to be late! See you Apollo!" He rushed out the door.

"Mr. Wright," Apollo shook his head. He glanced up at the clock. "Oh no! I'm going to be late too!" And just as Phoenix ran out the door, so did Apollo.

* * *

_It's nice not to have to investigate another major criminal. I could get used to this. _He sipped on a cup of tea as he gazed out the window of his office. He heard a knock on the door.

"Come in." Into the office piled in two young teenagers.

"Hello Mr. Edgeworth."

"Ah Trucy, Ms. Cykes. What brings you here?"

"We…uh…" Athena looked over at Trucy. She didn't want to pry into the man's life, but…she was curious.

"We had a question for you, Mr. Edgeworth."

"What is it?" _Why do I have an odd feeling about this? _

"Mr. Edgeworth. We were wondering. Do you have…do you have…a special someone?"

"Special someone? I don't think I follow."

"What she means is whether you have a girlfriend, Mr. Edgeworth," Athena explained bluntly.

His eyes widened. He sat up straight and cleared his throat. "I…I don't have a…'special someone,' at the moment, no."

Trucy gasped. "Why not, Mr. Edgeworth? You're an attractive guy! It shouldn't be hard for you to find someone to date!"

"It isn't that I don't have anyone to date, Trucy. It's more that I haven't looked into dating. I'm not really looking to be in a relationship right now."

The young magician frowned. "But…won't you be lonely, Mr. Edgeworth?"

_She seems genuinely concerned. _"I don't feel lonely, Trucy. I just don't have much of an interest right now. That's all."

"Okay…" Trucy sighed heavily.

_Why do I get the feeling that they haven't dropped the subject? _"Er…would the two of you care for some tea?"

"No thanks," they replied.

"So Mr. Edgeworth. You may not be looking for a relationship right now, but if you were, hypothetically, what would you look for in a woman?"

Edgeworth was taken aback by the question. "Well…Ms. Cykes. That…isn't something I've really thought about."

"Come on Mr. Edgeworth! Surely you must have some kind of idea as to who you'd like! You know, like any particular physical appearance? A certain kind of personality? Anything?"

"I'm afraid I don't really have an answer for you, Ms. Cykes. Like I said, I've never really considered anything like that."

"I see. Well then, I guess we better get going Trucy. It was nice seeing you though, Mr. Edgeworth!"

"Yeah it was! We'll see you later!" Trucy waved as the filed out of the office, shutting the door behind them.

"Goodbye." He watched them walk out the door. _Did they come all the way here just so they could find out if I had a…what did they call it? A special someone? Hm…I suppose they are young, and they only mean well. No harm done really._

* * *

"Well that was quite successful," Athena said, the disappointment all too apparent in her voice. She accidentally walked into someone who was approaching Edgeworth's door. "Oh no! I'm sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going!"

"No big deal. It was my fault."

Trucy and Athena saw that in front of them was a girl with black hair tied up in a high ponytail. She had green eyes and was smiling at them. "Hey! Did you guys just come out of Mr. Edgeworth's office? Is he in there?"

"Yeah, we did, and he is. Who are you?" Trucy asked.

"My name is Kay Faraday, but you can call me Kay, 'kay? Good!"

"Hi there Kay. My name is Athena Cykes. I'm a defense attorney, and this is my friend Trucy Wright."

Trucy waved at Kay. "So…are you going to see Mr. Edgeworth?"

"Yup! I've got some exciting news for him! He isn't going to believe me when I tell him!"

"Oh? How do you know Mr. Edgeworth, Kay?"

"I was his assistant!" Kay said proudly, hands on her hips.

"Assistant?" Athena looked at Trucy, then back at Kay. "I never knew Mr. Edgeworth had an assistant."

Kay frowned. "Well…I was technically his assistant. He didn't hire me, but I've joined him along on his investigations! And, I've known Mr. Edgeworth since he first became a prosecutor."

"You did, did you?" Athena had an idea spark up in her head. "So Kay. I was wondering…do you know if Mr. Edgeworth has a girlfriend?"

The two girls from the Wright Anything Agency watched as Kay laughed. "Mr. Edgeworth? Have a girlfriend?! Ha, ha, ha!" She calmed down a bit and became serious. "No way. He usually says he doesn't have time to be in a relationship, although he has many female admirers. Oh! Did he tell you about his stalker, the old lady?!"

"Old lady?"

"Stalker?!" Trucy spoke to Athena. "Daddy never told me that Mr. Edgeworth had a stalker!"

Kay nodded her head. "Yup! Her name is Wendy Oldbag. She's absolutely smitten over Mr. Edgeworth. She sent him the Steel Samurai doll that he still keeps in his office, and she sends him flowers every month…but you didn't hear that from me."

"Of course we didn't," Athena said, going along with it.

"You know? You girls are pretty cool! Why haven't we met before?!" Kay asked.

"I don't know!" Athena replied. "But you seem to be pretty cool too, Kay!"

"So…what were you two doing visiting Mr. Edgeworth?"

"We were curious as to whether or not Mr. Edgeworth had a girlfriend, but he said…"

"Let me guess: 'I'm not really looking to be in a relationship right now.'"

They were surprised at how accurately Kay mimicked Edgeworth. "That's exactly what he said!" Trucy exclaimed.

"Typical Mr. Edgeworth," Kay sighed, rolling her eyes. "Well. I hope to see the two of you sometime in the future. Maybe we could all hang out together!"

"Sounds like a good idea, Kay! We'll see you!" With that, Athena and Trucy left.

* * *

"Hello Mr. Edgeworth!"

Edgeworth put down his paperwork and resisted the urge to sigh. He been interrupted so many times in the past two hours, it was getting tiring. "Kay." He looked up at her. "It's been a while. How have you been?"

"I've been well, Mr. Edgeworth! But I have something very important I really need to tell you!"

"Oh? And what might that be?"

"Is there something different about me?" She closed her eyes and had her arms crossed, a triumphant smile on her face.

"Something…different about you?" _She looks rather the same. Yes, she's still wearing her Yatagarasu outfit. _Indeed, she was still wearing the pink and blue outfit she was always seen wearing._ She's got her Yatagarasu pin next to her prosecutor's badge…wait a second!_

"You figured it out!" Kay pointed at him, seeing how his eyes widened.

Edgeworth narrowed his eyes and pointed his finger. "Is that a fake badge, Kay?"

She gaped at him. "Mr. Edgeworth! It is not a fake badge!" She placed her hands on her hips. "I'm officially a prosecutor now!"

Edgeworth was rendered speechless. _Kay…a p-prosecutor?! _"You…you never told me."

"I know. I wanted to surprise you! When I was with my mom's relatives, I decided I wanted to try to become a prosecutor, like my Dad. So I took classes in law, passed the bar, and now, here I am!"

_She makes it sound too easy. That makes me quite concerned. _"Well, I must say, Kay…I didn't really expect you to become a prosecutor."

"I didn't think you would, Mr. Edgeworth." She then became serious. "But…I realized that I want to continue my father's legacy. I want to be a Hero of Justice, just like he was." She then grinned. "And what better way to do that than to become a prosecutor?!"

"Hm, so I see. Nonetheless, I am pleased by your choice, and I'm sure your father would be very proud of you." _Continuing her father's legacy…I don't find that surprising at all._ "I take it then that you've finally gotten over reforming the Yatagarasu?"

"No way! I'm still looking to find two more recruits! In fact, I just met someone that might be able to fulfill the defense attorney position!"

"And who might that be?"

"She knows you, Mr. Edgeworth. Her name is Athena Cykes."

_Ah yes, Ms. Cykes. _"The two of you met?"

"Yeah! She's a pretty cool person, and so is Trucy!"

_Oh dear. Somehow, I'm not sure how I feel about the idea of Kay developing a friendship with Ms. Cykes…or Trucy for that matter….I feel that will only lead to trouble…for me, mostly. _

"So…are you looking for a job, Kay?"

"That's actually why I came here, Mr. Edgeworth. I was hoping you would consider hiring me to work here? I…sort of already sent my application and the PIC is looking over it, and if they approve, all I need is your approval."

"Oh. So you've taken all of the necessary steps, have you? That's good. The sooner you get things done, the quicker you'll be able to begin working here."

"That's right!" She held a fist in the air. "I'm going to steal the truth from criminals and save innocent people!"

_I don't mind that last part of your statement, but you really should find something else to say other than stealing…It might make it hard for other people to take you seriously._

She smiled cheekily. "And now, I will be working for you, Mr. Edgeworth! This is going to be payback for you not telling anyone about what a wonderful assistant I was to you all those years ago! We're going to have so much fun together."

_I knew it. She isn't going to make things easy on me, is she?*sigh* I guess some things never change. She may be a prosecutor now, but she's the same old Kay, that's for sure. _"Hmph. Well then, once you get hired, I look forward to working with you, Kay."

"You too, Mr. Edgeworth!" Kay sighed. "I better get to the precinct and go see Gummy. Oh boy! I can't wait to see his face when I tell him!"

Edgeworth watched as the girl left his office. _Although I am a little worried about her, I'm sure Kay will be serious when it comes time for her to truly start her career. At least, I hope so. Only time will tell, I suppose._

**Yeah…not a very exciting first chapter, I know. I'm not too sure as to how this story is going to go, to be honest. I'm still planning the whole thing out, but do let me know what you think so far by leaving a review or private messaging me. Thanks!**


	2. Turnabout Commence Operation

**I didn't try hard enough with this chapter, I'll admit. **

******_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Ace Attorney series characters!_**

Chapter 2 – Turnabout Commence Operation

"Mr. Wright. There is something…something very important…that I must tell you."

Phoenix listened to the person on the phone as he sat at his desk in the office. Iris was in the room with him, reading through some of his old case files, along with Trucy. The young magician was practicing one of her magic tricks.

Iris had looked up from her reading and noticed how Phoenix's eyes widened in what she identified as shock. He immediately looked at Trucy, and then away. Staring down at his desk, he spoke into the phone quietly, and then hung up.

"Feenie? Who was that on the phone?" Iris asked curiously. His face had gotten noticeably paler.

"Hm? Oh that? That was…no one in particular."

She tilted her head. "Really?"

"Really." Before she could question him any further, he stood up and looked around the room. "Okay. I know Apollo is on a date with Ms. Woods, but where's Athena?"

Trucy had her back facing him, concealing the mischievous smile on her face. She and Athena had made plans for today. Major plans.

"Hello everyone!" Athena announced as she opened the door. "Trucy! Just the person I was looking forward to speaking too!"

"Athena! I was wondering when you'd get here! So…did you come up with a plan?!" Trucy asked excitedly.

Athena nodded with her hands on her hips. "Of course I did. This is going to be fantastic!"

The two teenagers squealed in delight, only to stop and realize that Iris and Phoenix were still there, watching them with confused expressions on their faces.

"So…what exactly are the two of you talking about?" Phoenix asked casually. _Because I'm starting to get a little worried…_

"Oh…nothing," Athena said innocently.

"Nothing at all," Trucy added.

_It's official. I'm really worried. _"Are you sure it's nothing, because that nothing sure sounds like it's something."

"Oh no. It isn't. It really isn't anything concerning you, Boss."

"Then who is it involving?"

"M…" Athena covered Trucy's mouth.

"No one, Mr. Wright. It's no one." Athena laughed awkwardly. "Come on Trucy. Let's go take a nice walk at People Park, hm?" Before Trucy could argue, Athena took her by the arm and pulled the magician out the door with her.

"Hey Iris. Do…you think I should check on them?"

Iris smiled. "No. I'm sure they're just doing girl stuff, you know?" She stood up. "You must be hungry, Feenie. Do you want something to eat?"

"Well, I am a little hungry, but it's fine. I can wait a little while and go out to get something."

"Oh," Iris said, sounding a little sad. "Then I guess you wouldn't want any of my mini-omelettes, would you?"

Phoenix's eyes lit up. "Did you say…mini-omelettes?!" _Oh I love her mini-omelettes! I haven't had one in years! _

She pulled a container out of her bag. "I'm sorry they aren't very fresh. I made them this morning." She handed it to him.

"Oh boy! I haven't eaten these since so long ago!" Phoenix sat down at his desk and immediately began eating them. "Mmm…these are so good!" He said with his mouth full.

Iris giggled. "Feenie! Don't talk with food in your mouth!"

* * *

"I really think this is going to work, Athena! This will be a foolproof plan!" Trucy and Athena were walking around People Park.

They both went over to a picnic table and sat down. "The only thing now is that we need to implement it in a way that no one is going to suspect what we're doing." Athena tapped her earring. "Although, I don't think we can keep this whole thing a secret for very long. We're going to need some help for the future stages of the plan."

"You're right. But until then, we should keep quiet about it; otherwise, we may never get to that point!"

"Keep quiet about what?"

"AH!" Trucy and Athena jumped up and looked around, trying to find the source of the voice.

"Up here!" The familiar female voice called out. Trucy and Athena looked up only to find that up in the tree was…

"Kay?!" Athena exclaimed.

Kay hopped down effortlessly from the tree, landing on her feet. "Hey you two!"

"Kay…What were you doing up in that tree?" Trucy asked.

"I like jumping down from high up places. It's part of my training for the Yatagarasu."

"Yata…Yatagawhat?" Athena tried to say the word, but she couldn't figure it out.

"Yatagarasu. You've never heard of the Yatagarasu?!" The two young teens shook their head. "Ahem. Even in the depths of night, when no other bird dares to take flight, one alone soars to shine the light of righteousness on the world's blight! And that one is me! For I am the Great Thief, Yatagarasu!"

"Wow! That sounds so cool!" Athena exclaimed, but she frowned a little. "Although, I'm not sure how I feel about the whole 'thief' aspect of it."

Kay grinned. "Oh, it's not what you think. I am a thief, but there's only one thing I steal: the truth."

Athena nodded her head. "That's good to know."

"Wow! You're so cool Kay! Did you come up with that yourself?"

Kay frowned. "No. It was my father's idea. He was a prosecutor, and he was a Hero of Justice." Kay's face became serious. "That's why I want to continue his legacy."

"Wait. So you're a prosecutor?!" The defense attorney asked.

"I sure am! Who knows? Maybe we'll face each other off in court one day!"

Athena smiled. "I like the idea of finding the truth with you, Kay!"

Kay nodded. "Anyway, I'm sorry, but I couldn't help but overhear this plan the two of you have. Think you could fill me in?"

Trucy and Athena looked to each other. Trucy nodded at Athena, who turned and grinned at Kay. "You aren't going to believe what we've got planned."

One long explanation later…

"You know, usually I would tell you girls that it would be pointless to do anything, but this…this is genius! I totally want in on this! Can I help you two?"

"Sure! Actually, this might make it a little easier for us," Athena explained. "Alright Trucy. You're first up, okay?"

Trucy nodded. "I got it!" She held her hands in fists in front of her excitedly. "Girls! Let's commence our operation!"

* * *

"Hello Mr. Edgeworth!" Trucy smiled at the Chief Prosecutor as she entered his office.

"Trucy. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"I…have something I need to ask you to do for me." She pulled from her bag a packet. Walking up to his desk, she placed it on his desk.

The prosecutor looked down at the paper, then back up at the magician. She began to explain. "You see, I have this little project I'm doing, and I need someone to take this test."

Edgeworth grabbed the packet and gave it a cursory glance. His eyebrows furrowed slightly. "Er…Trucy. Are you sure you want me to do this? Surely you could ask Wright or Ms. Cykes or…"

"No!" Trucy smiled nervously. "I mean, I really wanted you to do it, Mr. Edgeworth. But if you don't want to, then that's fine." She frowned a little.

_I guess this won't hurt. _"Alright then Trucy. When do you want me to complete this by?"

The magician brightened up. "Take all the time you need, Mr. Edgeworth! Just let me know when you're done with it, and I'll come pick it up, okay?"

"Okay then. Anything else?"

Trucy shook her head. "I actually should get going. I need to go practice for my show. Will you come, Mr. Edgeworth?"

"When is it?"

"In about three weeks, on Friday night."

"Hm…I'll make sure to keep that time free."

"Thanks Mr. Edgeworth! See you!"

Edgeworth glanced down at the paper once more. _I'm not that busy right now. Maybe I could complete this questionnaire. The sooner I get it done, the better._

* * *

Phoenix was alone at the office. Iris had gone to the university, where she was completing her application process and getting everything arranged so that she could join in the fall.

He thought back to his phone call from earlier in the day. _I didn't expect something like this to come up so suddenly. What am I going to do? _

He was so deep in thought that he didn't hear Apollo enter the office. "Hey Mr. Wright. What's the matter?"

"Hm? Apollo!" Phoenix straightened and shook his head. "What do you mean, what's the matter?"

"You look kind of stressed out, that's all. Is something bothering you?"

"Nothing. Just thinking, that's all." Phoenix sighed. "So how was your date with Ms. Woods?"

Apollo hesitated for a moment. "It…was good."

Phoenix quirked an eyebrow. "Did something happen?"

Apollo was at his desk. "Oh no! It went great. It really did. We went to Gourd Lake and walked around a little there. Nothing too big."

"Oh, okay."

Apollo looked at his desk. He saw the postcard he had gotten from his third case. "Hey. Where's Athena and Trucy?"

"They've been out of the office since this morning. I don't know." Phoenix tapped his chin. "Those two seem to be up to something, and I'm a little worried as to what it is."

Apollo thought about it. "Hm…whatever it is, I won't mind as long as it's one, not illegal, and two, doesn't involve me."

Phoenix chuckled a little. "I don't Athena and Trucy would do anything illegal Apollo, and as for the second reason…who knows? Maybe it could have something to do with you."

Apollo just looked at his boss and shook his head. "Please Mr. Wright. Don't jinx me. And anyway, have you got any new cases for us?"

"Afraid not Apollo. It's been getting a little slow these days."

"Hopefully something will come up soon. As nice as it is to have a break, I don't really like being away from the court."

"Same here."

**This wasn't a good chapter, I'll admit. I just kind of needed to get some background in there somewhere. Anyway, I hope you guys liked this failed attempt at a chapter. Feel free to leave a review or private message me. Thanks! **


	3. Turnabout Return

**This chapter is focused more on the girls and Edgeworth…and someone else…**

******_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Ace Attorney series characters!_**

Chapter 3 – Turnabout Return

"Well, where is it Trucy?!" Athena asked eagerly when she got to the Wright Anything Agency.

Trucy pulled a packet of paper from her magic panties. "Here you go!"

Athena hesitated a moment before taking the paper from Trucy. _Those magic panties of her…they never cease to amaze me…and freak me out. _Nevertheless, Athena looked over the packet. "Perfect! He answered everything! Now, let's just enter this into Widget."

Athena touched Widget, and an electronic screen appeared in front of her. With Trucy next to her, Athena had Widget scan the papers. After a few minutes of processing, four letters were shown on the screen.

"INTJ." Trucy had a look of confusion on her face. "Um…what does that mean Athena?"

"Here. Let's have Widget tell us."

"'INTJs are analytical problem-solvers, eager to improve systems and processes with their innovative ideas. They have a talent for seeing possibilities for improvement, whether at work, at home, or in themselves.

"'Often intellectual, INTJs enjoy logical reasoning and complex problem-solving. They approach life by analyzing the theory behind what they see, and are typically focused inward, on their own thoughtful study of the world around them. INTJs are drawn to logical systems and are much less comfortable with the unpredictable nature of other people and their emotions. They are typically independent and selective about their relationships, preferring to associate with people who they find intellectually stimulating.'" (**AN: I copied this description from the typefinder website. I have a link to it on my profile, so all credit goes to that website.**)

The two of them were quiet for a moment. "Do…you think that's accurate description of Mr. Edgeworth, Trucy?"

Trucy tapped her chin. "I…think so. I'm not too sure. I've known him for a while, but I don't know him that well." She then smiled as an idea hit her. "But I know someone who would!"

Athena knew exactly who Trucy was talking about. "We better go consult these results with her!"

"Consult what results?"

"Eek!" The two exclaimed.

"Polly! It's rude to listen in on people's conversations!"

"For the record, you guys weren't exactly talking quietly for me not to hear you. Not to mention it was just a question." Apollo crossed his arms. "Well? What are these results you two are tslking about."

"They're none of your business, Apollo," Athena countered.

_Great. Now I'm curious and want to know. _"Oh? Is that so?"

Trucy nodded. "That is so Polly. It has nothing to do with you, so don't worry!"

"O…K…" Apollo shook his head and left the agency without another word. _What is with everyone keeping secrets from me?! First Mr. Wright and now Athena and Trucy! Wait. Why should I worry about them keeping secrets from me if those secrets have nothing to do with me? _Apollo sighed. "I really need to get another case to work on. It's unhealthy for me to have this much free time on my hands."

* * *

"Mr. Edgeworth. What should we do?" Detective Gumshoe was standing in Edgeworth's office. "No one's called back to accept the offer."

Edgeworth sighed, his brows furrowed. "Yes, so I've heard. I admit I find it quite surprising. You would think people would be willing to do the job, especially given how much the pay is. I mean, we could always drop the position, but…I think it has proven to be quite useful in past cases we've gotten."

"Hm…" Detective Gumshoe thought long and hard. "Hey! I have an idea! How about we ask Dr. Sterling?"

"Her? Ask her what?"

"Ask her to be a temporary medical consultant sir!"

_That…actually isn't such a bad idea. _"I'm impressed, Detective Gumshoe. That idea didn't really occur to me."

Gumshoe rubbed the back of his head. "Gee, thanks sir."

"Hm...That's definitely a good idea. But I should probably discuss this matter with Mr. Tate himself and see if he would have any ideas."

"I'll you to it, Mr. Edgeworth. Good luck!" With that the detective left, and Edgeworth picked up his phone and began dialing a number.

"Helloooo! This is Conan Tate! How can I help?"

"Mr. Tate? Hello. This is Miles Edgeworth."

"Ah yes! Prosecutor Edgeworth. It's nice to speak to you. What do you need?"

"Mr. Tate. I'm currently working with the police department to try to find a new temporary medical consultant, and I figured it would be a good idea to speak with you and find out if you had any suggestions as to who we could hire."

"Who you could hire? Hm…Gee, that's a good, but hard question. I'm trying to think of someone who would be good for the job, but no one's coming immediately to mind. Do you have any ideas as to who you might ask?"

"Well, someone did suggest a few names at the local ER. For example, Ms. Sterling…"

"Sterling? As in Serena Sterling?!"

_What is with this sudden outburst?! Could something be wrong? _"Yes, her. Is there something wrong, Mr. Tate?"

"Wrong! You've got your answer right there, my boy! The girl's a genius when it comes to medicine. She really knows her stuff. I've had the honor to meet her. She's a promising young doctor, that one."

"So you believe that we should ask her to be the new temporary consultant then?"

"Yes, absolutely. Do whatever you possibly can to get her to agree to it. She'll be a real asset to you, I guarantee it."

"Alright then. I appreciate your taking the time to speak to me. Have a good day."

"Thanks! I'm out fishing with my grandsons. Oh!" He heard some commotion from the background. "Oh boy! And it looks like I just got a big one on my line. Gotta go, Prosecutor Edgeworth!" The phone line was cut.

"I guess I should give Ms. Sterling a call then." _I'm sure she'd appreciate a good excuse to leave her apartment as well._

After one ring, he heard the doctor's professional greeting on the other line. "Good morning. This is the Sunshine Medical Center Emergency Department...how may I..." He heard a heavy sigh, followed by a rather miserable voice. "I'm sorry. I meant to say that you've reached the Sterling residence. This is Serena Sterling speaking. How may I help you?"

_It seems like she hasn't quite gotten over not being in the ER. Even after a month…_

"Ms. Sterling."

"Mr. Edgeworth? Hi. How are you?" Her voice was perked up a little.

"I'm doing well, thank you. And how about you?"

"I'm fine, thank you. Did you need something?"

"Yes, I do actually. I'd like to discuss something with you; however, I don't feel it would be appropriate to speak over the phone about it. Would it be possible to meet with you in person soon?"

"Of course! When would be a good time for you?"

"Oh, anytime today would be perfectly fine."

"Um...would be inconvenient if I was to come to your office, in say...the next half hour?"

"Oh. You don't need to come in that soon. I shouldn't be busy this afternoon."

"No, no. It's alright. As long as it's okay with you, it doesn't matter for me."

"Well, the sooner we meet, the better it would be...alright Ms. Sterling. I'll see you in half an hour."

Fifteen minutes later, he heard a couple of knocks on his door.

"Come in. Ah Ms. Sterling! I wasn't expecting you for another fifteen minutes."

"I hope you don't mind. I thought it'd take me longer to get here." She was wearing an emerald green shirt and black pants.

"Please, have a seat. Would you like a cup of tea?"

"Oh, um...sure, thank you." He stood up and walked over to his tea set and poured some tea into two cups. He brought them over and set them down on his desk. "Thank you. So...how can be of service, Mr. Edgeworth?"

"You see. The Police Department and the Prosecutor's Office have a medical consultant who we call upon to testify in court in regards to matters of medicine. Unfortunately, our current medical consultant, one Mr. Conan Tate, has decided to retire this year."

"Ah yes. Dr. Tate. I remember speaking with him. He was a very bright man. He knew so much about medicine." She shook her head in admiration. "It's a shame he's retiring, but he deserves it, with all of the years he's given to serving the community."

Edgeworth nodded. "So as of right now, we've been trying to figure out who we could find who could replace him temporarily. It would be a shame if we had to remove the position, as it's proven to be quite helpful in cases."

Serena considered it. "Hm…you're right. Let me think." She played with her necklace absentmindedly, brows wrinkled in concentration. "Who at the ER would be willing to fill the position?"

"Actually Ms. Sterling, the reason I asked you to come in was that I wanted to know you if you would like to fill the position in for us."

Her eyebrows went up in apparent surprise. "Me?" She pointed to herself. "You want me to be a medical consultant?" When he nodded, she frowned a little, pushing a strand of hair back behind her ear. "I don't know…I'm not so sure I'd be good enough for a job like that."

"I spoke to Mr. Tate himself just recently, and he recommended that you be hired for the job." _Well, if we were to be more precise, then he pretty much necessitated me to have you hired. _

"He did? I…didn't know." Her cheeks turned a slight bit pink, and she ran a hand through her hair. "I…well…I'm pleased by the offer, and…I wouldn't mind having to testify in court if it has to do with medicine."

"Does this mean you're willing to consider being hired?"

She nodded. "Yes, I am. But isn't there an application for me to fill out and paperwork I need to submit?"

He shook his head. "You would think there would be, wouldn't you? The Police Department decided that there was no need for paperwork when Mr. Tate was hired; however, they were eventually convinced that we needed to do some sort of evaluation before we hired someone for such a post, so the decision made was to have an informal interview with the candidate. As for background information, the Police Department can just type the person's name into their database and have immediate access to any and all information about them."

"I see…so who would I be doing this interview with?"

"There isn't anyone who solely does the interviews. Whoever's available, whether it be a police officer or a prosecutor, will do the job."

"Oh. So how soon would you like to hire someone?"

Edgeworth crossed his arms. "Well, Mr. Tate's last day is a week from now, but he has taken off work until then. So the sooner we could get someone, the better it would be for us."

"Well, then I guess I wouldn't mind filling in the job, that is, if no one else wants to do it."

"So far, no one's come up and requested that we hire them, even though we have made this issue known to many doctors. You haven't heard of it?"

She shook her head. "No. I've…" She selected her words carefully. "…conveniently been left out of the circle in the hospital ever since my little…'vacation.'"

"I see. Well, we would greatly appreciate your services, Ms. Sterling, but the choice is ultimately yours to make."

She sat there for a moment. "So, theoretically, if I was to accept the position and I got hired, and a case came up, say, this week, where you need a medical consultant to testify. Would I be allowed to?"

Edgeworth considered the question. "I don't see why not."

This seemed to make her much happier. "Then I'll be glad to fill the position for you."

_What a relief. That'll be one less thing to worry about. _"Alright then. Since we're here, why don't we get that interview out of the way?"

"Oh, sure. That's…fine." She looked down, playing with the gold chain around her neck.

"This is completely informal, so there's no need to be nervous, if you are." Edgeworth took out a notepad and a pen. "Moving along, where did you go to school, Ms. Sterling?"

"I went to school right here in Los Angeles through high school."

"And college?"

She looked away. "Er…about college." She shifted her eyes back to look at him. "I actually went abroad to Borginia when I was 19."

Edgeworth regarded her carefully. "Borginia?"

She nodded. "It's a long story, but basically, I went to the medical school there for five years. I came back here to do my three year residency, and I started working in the ER after that."

_Hm…Borginia. That's a rather interesting place to go study medicine. Perhaps I should ask more about that. _

"So why did you choose to go study in Borginia rather than stay here in Los Angeles, or at least in the country?"

She hesitated for a moment. "Well, after I graduated from high school, certain…circumstances prevented me from applying to college here."

"'Certain circumstances?' What might those have been?"

She struggled a little. "My…family…they…didn't exactly want me to go to college. I couldn't really apply anywhere either, since I needed the money from them to be able to apply. I would've stayed here if I could have though."

_Hmph. So I see. Such cruel people to hinder someone from getting their education. _

"But you eventually applied to go there? To Borginia, I mean."

She nodded. "Someone recommended that I send in an application and see if I could get accepted. I wasn't too keen on the idea, because it was a really competitive program, but I didn't want to be rude and decline the offer. So I applied, they called me back and asked me to take an entrance exam, and…I guess I passed."

_I'll need to look into this Borginian medical school myself, it seems. _

"I see. Thank you for the explanation." Edgeworth considered what else he needed to find out. "You haven't committed any felonies, have you?"

"No, although, I was arrested two times for murder, as I'm sure you're aware of. And technically I am guilty of perjury, even though I wasn't charged for it."

"Ah yes. There is that. But those won't prove to be an issue, I can guarantee that, although your honesty is appreciated." Edgeworth tried to come up with any other questions he could ask. _I really don't see any reason why I would need to ask her anything else. She's obviously quite interested, she has a recommendation, and I don't doubt that she knows what she's talking about when it comes to medicine. _

"Well Ms. Sterling, I really don't see any need to further prolong this. I think you'd be perfect for the job. Consider yourself hired."

"Oh, thank you Mr. Edgeworth. It'll be so nice to finally have something productive to do."

"I take it that sitting at home for the past month hasn't been very fun."

She shook her head. "Absolutely not. It's been horrible, to be completely honest. I'd much rather be back in the ER, but I still have another month to go. But this will be the next best thing, I guess." She stood up. "I should get going. Thank you again."

"Thank you, Ms. Sterling. You've saved me and the Police Department a lot of work."

She smiled. "Don't mention it. See you."

_Hm...she seems to have recovered from her brother's passing. That's good. And now I won't have to worry about a medical consultant for the time being._

* * *

"This is a pretty good description that fits him." Kay read over the description again. "Especially this quote: 'INTJs are the most independent of all the sixteen types and take more or less conscious pride in that independence.' He's the perfect example of this." (**AN: This also comes from that website.**) She looked across the table to Athena and Trucy. They were at the local burger joint. "So what's next?"

"Well, I did some more research, and apparently, the natural matches for INTJs are ENFP or ENTP." Athena then frowned. "The problem we have now is that we have to find someone who has one of these types."

"Hm…" The three girls went into deep thought.

"Do you any of you know a lady who might fit one of these two types?" Athena asked.

"No…no one comes to mind, anyway." Trucy sighed. "This is going to be harder than we thought, isn't it?"

Kay was silent for a while. "You know? I think I might know someone who would fit one of these descriptions."

"You do?"

"I do. And it just so happens that she's looking for someone to date."

Athena clapped her hands together. "This is perfect! All we have to do is set the both of them up on a blind date!"

"That…might be hard to do, Athena. Not with my acquaintance, but with Mr. Edgeworth. He's not into dates, you know."

"Yeah, that is true." Athena tapped her earring a couple of times before snapping her fingers. "But what if he doesn't know that it's a date?"

"Mr. Edgeworth doesn't get tricked easily. It's going to be hard to get him to go out."

Trucy smiled playfully. "Actually, I think I have the perfect way to get Mr. Edgeworth to unknowingly go on a date."

**Oh boy. These girls…I can't wait to get the next chapter out! I don't know if this chapter was very good, but I hope you guys like it. This story should get better, at least, I hope it does! Feel free to leave me a review or private message me. Thanks!**


	4. Turnabout Dating Disaster

******I really liked writing this chapter...I'm not exactly sure why...but I did. Hope you guys like it too!**

******_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Ace Attorney series characters!_**

Chapter 4 - Turnabout Dating Disaster

**It's been one week since the girls got the results from Edgeworth's personality test.**

"Wright. Are you sure you want me to come along with you? I…" Edgeworth was actually out on a Saturday night, a rare occurrence for the Chief Prosecutor who spent a majority of his time either in his office or at his home.

"Come on Edgeworth! You need to get out more! Plus, it's been a while since we've all gotten together like this, right?"

"That's right, Mr. Edgeworth," Iris added. The three of them were going into the Hexagon, a highly rated restaurant in the area.

"Then where's everyone else?"

"Apollo's coming with Ms. Woods, Athena is coming with Prosecutor Blackquill, and then there's Trucy, who's bringing a friend with her. They should either be here already, or get here soon."

Apollo, Juniper, and Simon were already sitting at the table. Simon immediately stood up seeing Edgeworth. "Chief Prosecutor," he bowed.

"There's no need to greet me like that, Prosecutor Blackquill. Just Mr. Edgeworth will do." He went to sit down next to Phoenix. Just then, Trucy and Athena rushed to the table.

"Hey everyone! Oh Mr. Edgeworth! You came! Thank goodness!" Athena exclaimed.

"Er…yes, I did." _Why, I have no idea. _Edgeworth realized something. "Won't we need one more seat for your friend, Trucy?"

Trucy shook her head. "That won't be necessary, Mr. Edgeworth. Because you're not going to be sitting here."

"I'm…not?"

"Follow us, Mr. Edgeworth," Athena said as she and Trucy were standing.

Edgeworth looked at Phoenix, who shrugged. "Just go along with it."

The chief prosecutor warily followed the two teenagers to a booth nearby. They then turned around and faced him. "Alright Mr. Edgeworth. Your date is going to be here in about ten minutes."

"D…date?!" _What are they talking about?!_

Trucy nodded. She pulled out her magic panties and from them she took out a bouquet of flowers. "Here's a nice bouquet to give her!" She handed them to the confused prosecutor.

"Wait a second. I thought I was coming here to eat dinner with all of you!"

"Well," Athena began.

"We…may have…sort of…setup a blind date for you."

_They what?! _"You…did?"

"Yeah. You should try it, Mr. Edgeworth. You have time on your hands. See how it goes," the young defense attorney encouraged.

_I cannot believe this…a blind date…me?_ "Er…well…this isn't something I'm used to, you know."

"Don't worry! Everything's going to go great! Trust us!" Trucy said excitedly.

"Girls. As kind as this is…" He stopped. _Ngh…they seem very happy. I certainly don't want to burst their proverbial bubble. *sigh* I suppose one blind date couldn't hurt. And…I could find out what the whole deal is with dating and all. _"I…I appreciate it. Thank you."

Athena grinned. "Okay! Like we said, she should be here soon. You can have a seat right here!" She pointed at the booth.

Edgeworth slipped into the booth and sat down, placing the bouquet on the table.

"Good luck Mr. Edgeworth!" Trucy and Athena wished him as they walked off.

_Luck…I should've known there was something else to this…I bet Wright knew of their plan all along! Hmph. I'll have to have a word with him then, won't I? _

Edgeworth crossed his arms and sat there. _I hope this person isn't going to be late. Certainly that would not make for a good first impression, now would it? _

He didn't notice that a woman wearing skinny jeans and a purple sleeveless top was approaching his booth. "Excuse me? Are you…Miles Edgeworth?"

Edgeworth looked up at her. She had dirty blonde hair and green eyes. "Er…yes. That would be me."

"Hi! My name is Hazel Dylan. I'm your blind date."

"It's nice to meet you Ms. Dylan."

She sat down and saw the flowers. "Oh are these for me? Oh you shouldn't have!"

Before Edgeworth had the chance to give her the flowers, she took them off the table.

_Well…now what do I do? _"So, how about you tell me a little about yourself." The woman folded her hands and looked expectantly at him.

"Well, I'm a prosecutor. I live here in Los Angeles…" _What else do I say?_

"Don't you mean Chief Prosecutor?"

"So you've heard of me then?"

"Kay told me a little bit about you."

"Kay? As in Kay Faraday?" The woman nodded. _Kay…I should've known she would have some role in this. I don't suppose she must be the friend Trucy's bringing._ He looked up and saw that Hazel was still staring at him intently. His eyes searched around. "Um…"

She shrugged. "Is that it? That's all you have to say about yourself?!"

"There…isn't much to say about me is all."

"Come on! There's got to be more to you than what you just told me!"

"Um…er…how about you tell me a little about yourself then, Ms. Dylan?"

"Please. Call me Hazel. Ms. Dylan is just too formal! And I'll gladly tell you all about myself!"

Edgeworth spent the next ten minutes listening to the woman go on and on about her life. She told him how she was an actress, and how she did so many shows. She had grown up in Los Angeles too, and she had a big family.

Edgeworth tried to stay interested, but he couldn't help but become thoroughly bored. _Goodness. This woman literally can't stop talking! _

"Okay! I've told you my life story! Now it's your turn!" She said enthusiastically.

_You…expect me to tell you my life story…on a first date? Is this what dating is like?! No wonder I've never felt the desire to go on one! _

"My…life story? I'm sorry, but…I'll be quite frank with you, Ms. Dylan."

"Hazel."

"Right. I…I'm not very good at this whole 'dating' thing. In fact, this is my first date."

"Ever?"

"Ever."

"What?! You're like what? 34 years old?! You don't have much time left to be in the dating scene, you know? The more time you let go by, the harder it'll be for you. Why, this is probably my seventh date this week."

"Seventh date?! This week?!" _Why is Kay friends with this person?! _

She nodded. "I actually have another date right after this!"

"O…oh."

Just then, she saw a man pass their table. "Hey! Dex! What are you doing here?!"

A young man with electric blue hair wearing a white t-shirt and baggy jeans stopped at the booth. "Haze! What's up girl?" The two of them high-fived each other. "And who's the dude?"

"This is Miles Edgeworth. I'm on a blind date with him."

"Nice name, dude. I'm Dexter." The guy held out a fist.

"Uh…" Edgeworth looked at the man's fist, then up at Dex.

"Don't you know how to fist bump dude?"

_Fist bump? What is that? And don't call me dude. _"No, I'm afraid I don't."

Dex turned to Hazel and pointed at Edgeworth. "This guy's way too formal, Haze."

"I know."

_I'm sitting right here you know! _

"How about you join us?" Hazel offered.

"Sure thing. Some of the others are here too! Hey guys!"

Edgeworth saw a pair come up to the table. There was a woman with orange hair wearing a neon green t-shirt and neon pink tights, and a man wearing a leather jacket with ripped jeans who had a green Mohawk.

The pair came over and sat on Hazel's side of the booth, while Dexter suddenly sat next to the prosecutor.

After getting introduced to Edgeworth, two newcomers, whose names were Patch and Wizard, began conversing with Dexter and Hazel.

"So man. How many dates have you been on?"

Edgeworth had been consumed in his own thoughts when he realized that the question was directed at him. He looked up at Patch. He had to resist the urge to stare at the man's green Mohawk. "This…is my first one actually."

"This is your first date?! Come on. You seem like a guy who could get any girl to go out with you!" Patch replied.

"I've just…never been interested in dating, is all."

"So what made you start?"

"A few…friends…of mine wanted me to try it out." _Much to my chagrin. _

"So…you've never had a girlfriend then?" Dex asked. Edgeworth shook his head. "Gee. That sounds rough."

"Although, I'm not surprised," Patch added. "I mean. Look at him. He's so formally dressed, and he seems to be a little uptight. Not to mention look at that jabot he's wearing around his neck."

_Uptight?! How could you…wait. A jabot? _

"Objection!" The four people had their eyes on him. _Agh. I need to stop this habit of mine. _"I mean, ahem. Ms. Patch. I must inform you that this is not a jabot. This is a cravat."

She shrugged. "Looks like a jabot to me."

"There's a difference."

"Oh really? Enlighten us, Mr. Prosecutor," Hazel challenged.

_Gladly. _"A jabot was once used by men; however, now, they are used by women to wear with blouses. A cravat, on the other hand, has always been worn by men."

"But aren't they basically the same thing?" Hazel asked.

"No. They do have similarities, but they aren't the same thing."

"So what makes your cravat a cravat and not a jabot?" Patch questioned.

"Jabots are worn by women, and cravats by men. Simple."

"Wow! You're one weird fella!" Dex said, provoking laughter from everyone in the booth except Edgeworth. The four of them once more got into a conversation about something Edgeworth had no interest in whatsoever.

"Erm…excuse me?" He asked. "I need to go to the restroom. If you could…"

"Sure dude." Dex got out of the booth, allowing Edgeworth to get up. They picked up their conversation from where it left off, completely forgetting about the prosecutor.

_What a relief! I can't imagine what else I would've had to have listened to. _ He went to the bathroom and came back. _I certainly don't want to go back to that table. Plus, they seem to be having a good time without me there. _He saw the four people laughing at the booth.

He then saw the table where everyone else was sitting. They were all in deep conversation as well. _I shouldn't intrude on them either. I should just leave. But what if they see me? Then they'll make me go back and sit with my 'date.' Goodness. What do I do?! _

Edgeworth searched the small restaurant for an empty table or booth he could sit in, but the place was pretty packed that night.

_Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. There isn't a single place for me to sit. _He then spotted what looked like an empty booth. _Perfect! I can just sit here…oh. _

There was a person sitting in the booth already. She had her head down, reading a book. However, sensing someone was there, she looked up.

"Oh, hello Mr. Edgeworth. How are you?"

"Ms. Sterling. I'm well, thank you."

"Did you need something?"

"Er…no. I was just looking for a free table to sit at is all." He then came up with an idea. "Are…are you here with someone?"

"No. I was supposed to meet with someone, but they called out at the last minute."

Edgeworth saw that Kay, Athena and Trucy were heading towards the table where his date was. "I hate to sound forward, Ms. Sterling, but…would you mind if I sat here?"

"Oh…um…sure. I don't see why not."

Edgeworth slipped into the opposite seat of the booth and quickly covered his face with the large menu. He heard Kay, Athena and Trucy walk by.

"I wonder where he went. Mr. Wright said that he wasn't in the bathroom."

"Yeah, but we didn't see him leave either. Do you think he's still here?"

"Well, I hope he's still here," Kay said. "Otherwise, he's going to get an earful next time I see him."

_Note to self: avoid Kay at all costs. _After they had passed by, he lowered the menu down. _What a relief. _He then looked up to see that Serena was staring at him, her head tilted to the side.

"I hate to pry, but were you trying to hide from someone, Mr. Edgeworth?"

"Er…well…I suppose you could say that."

"Just curious."

"You wouldn't mind if I stayed here for a while, do you?"

"No, it's fine."

Edgeworth peeked from the booth to see that his date was still sitting in the booth with her friends. He faced Serena once more, only to find her picking up the book she was reading before. "What are you reading?"

She looked up at him and smiled sheepishly as she held up her book. "It's…an anatomy and physiology book."

"O…oh." _Well…she is a doctor. I suppose it shouldn't be that surprising. _Edgeworth sat there quietly as she went on reading. After a few minutes though, she put down her book. She laid her hands on the table, her eyes searching all around her.

"Um…so…what were you doing here, Mr. Edgeworth?"

"I…was on a blind date."

"Oh? That sounds nice. How was it?"

"Not…too bad." _It was awful really, but I shouldn't complain. _

She nodded, her eyes landing on the table. Again, there was silence. She chuckled a little. "I'm sorry if I seem a bit unfriendly. I…I'm not very good with small talk."

"It's fine, Ms. Sterling. There's no need to apologize." _I can't say I'm any better. _

"Any new cases come up yet?"

"No, I'm afraid not. Things have been going relatively slow in terms of serious criminal activity, which actually is quite nice."

She nodded. "That's true. I guess I was just hoping I'd have something to do to pass another month's worth of time."

"What have you been doing to pass the time, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Not at all. I actually was pretty busy for the first couple of weeks, getting all of my brother's affairs settled and everything."

_Right. Her brother…Mr. Sterling…it's been a month or so since he passed away, hasn't it? She's seemed to have recovered from it though. _

"As for the time after that, well, I've just been reading, cleaning up my apartment, and helping around the apartment complex. I don't honestly know how I even got through the whole month without some kind of mental breakdown though. I don't really like to be sitting idly around."

"I can understand that."

"Hello there Miss. Oh! I didn't know you had someone else with you. May I take your order sir?" A waitress came by.

"Oh? You ordered already, Ms. Sterling?"

"Yeah. I already placed my order before the person I was meeting cancelled on me."

"Oh. Um…" Edgeworth looked over the menu and placed his own order.

"Awesome! Your food should be out in about ten minutes." The waitress walked away.

Edgeworth then remembered something. "I happened to look up the medical school in Borginia after you came to my office, Ms. Sterling. I have to say that from what I read, they have quite the prestigious program there."

"Yeah, they do. It's very intensive, which makes sense because you're getting your MD in five years after high school. Not to mention that even though it is largely focused on the sciences and subjects you need to be a qualified doctor, they expect you to be well-rounded, and you have to concentrate on two subjects other than science."

"Oh? I wasn't completely aware of that. What subjects did you end up taking?"

"I took up music and philosophy. I was considering math, but math was already part of the curriculum for me being a medical student."

_Music and philosophy. Interesting subjects. _"So do you play an instrument?"

"Back in middle school, I played clarinet. I dropped that though, once I got to high school. Then I learned to play the piano when I was in Borginia."

"So you went to Borginia when you were out of high school?"

"Yeah. I was nineteen when I went there. I had to wait a year, since I didn't end up going to college when I was eighteen."

"Language must've been a bit of an issue I would imagine."

"It wasn't really language that was an issue for me. I mean, they spoke English well there, and I ended up learning Borginian also. I think it was moreso the…college life there that was hard for me. I imagined it to be this place that was different from what college was said to be like here, when in fact, it wasn't much different at all."

"I wouldn't know much about college life myself."

"What do you mean?"

"I was…homeschooled. I didn't go to school since I was nine years old, and I never even went to law school."

"Wow. That's amazing. And now you're chief prosecutor. Quite an accomplishment."

"I suppose so."

Once more, silence lingered between them. "Excuse me, Ms. Sterling. I'll be right back." Edgeworth got up and went to the bathroom. On his way there, however, he did make sure to see whether his date was gone. She hadn't been at the table when he went to the bathroom; however, when he came out, she had called out to him as he walked near the exit.

"Well, Mr. Prosecutor. Looks like that was a nice date!"

Edgeworth frowned. "I'm sorry I kind of…"

She waved her hand. "It's fine. I don't really care. It was just another date to me. I'll see you around! Come on guys! Time to head to the club!"

Edgeworth sighed. _One less thing to worry about. I should just eat and then leave as soon as possible._

* * *

Serena sat in the booth silently, reading her beloved anatomy and physiology book. She turned her attention to an elderly woman who was standing at the booth, huffing and puffing.

"Excuse me, ma'am? May I help you?"

"How dare you?! You young whippersnapper!"

Serena's eyes widened as she leaned back. "How dare I what?"

"You! You young ones! Acting all sweet and innocent in front of guys! You've only got bad intentions in mind! Back in my day, young ladies were proper and meek. Now you all go out and pursue men. Why just the other day when I was here, I saw this young woman out with this handsome man, and she…"

Serena began feeling distressed. "I'm sorry to interrupt you, Ma'am, but I have no idea what you're talking about! What have I done to you?!"

"You seduced my beloved Edgey-poo!"

"Seduced?!" Serena's cheeks turned bright red, and her hand went to lay on her chest. "I would never seduce anyone! And who's Edgey-poo?"

* * *

_Who is yelling like that?_ Edgeworth came back out, and his eyes widened. _No! Not her! Why is she here of all places?! As if this day wasn't bad enough! _He then noticed that the elderly woman was yelling at Serena. _Why is she yelling at Ms. Sterling?! _He caught wind of something she yelled. "…seduced…Edgey-poo!" _Oh dear. I need to go over there and clear up this mess. _

He slowly made his way over to the table.

"I never tried to seduce anyone, Ma'am! Please! I'm sorry if I've done something wrong to you or offended you in some way!" Serena apologized profusely.

"Ha! That innocent act might work on Edgey-poo, but it won't work on me!"

Edgeworth watched in horror as the elderly woman grabbed a plate of spaghetti from a waiter and dumped it over Serena.

"Ms. Sterling!" He ran over to the table.

Wendy Oldbag turned around, her eyes widened and a blush on her wrinkly cheeks. "Oh Edgey-poo! It's so wonderful to see you out and about!" She then frowned. "But how could you cheat on me, and with a young whippersnapper like her?!"

Edgeworth wasn't paying attention to the windy Oldbag; instead, he watched as the doctor wiped the red tomato sauce from her eyes and slowly opened them. Spaghetti was in her hair. A couple of other customers at the restaurant laughed at the site she made.

"Why are you ignoring me, Edgey-poo?!" A couple of waiters came over and escorted the woman away from them, all while she was yelling at them, calling them a bunch of no-good whippersnappers. She then yelled out to Edgeworth. "Don't worry, Edgey-poo! One day, we will be together! I promise!"

_I hope that's a promise you intend to break. _"M…Ms. Sterling. I…am so sorry. Here. Let me help you…"

"It's…okay, Mr. Edgeworth. It wasn't your fault." She stood up and sighed as she saw people pointing at her and laughing. "I…think I should get going and get myself cleaned up." The waitress that was serving them came over with their food. "Um…if you don't mind, I'd like to have that packed up. Here's the money." She handed the money to the waitress, who quickly went and packed up the food.

"I…I…" Edgeworth didn't know what to say. _I could explain about my stalk…that woman, but…perhaps that isn't necessary._

With the food in hand, the doctor smiled weakly at the prosecutor. "It was nice speaking with you, Mr. Edgeworth. I'll…see you some other time." With that, she walked out of the restaurant, still covered in spaghetti and tomato sauce.

_That was awful. I should've known that woman would be here, following me around. Poor Ms. Sterling. I can't even begin to imagine how embarrassed she must've been. _

Edgeworth had heard laughter coming from the direction where Phoenix and the others were sitting. The one laughing the loudest was Phoenix himself, and they were laughing at Edgeworth.

_Wright. _Edgeworth glared in that direction. _I have some words I'd like to share with you…_

**That date went wonderfully, didn't it?! And Wendy Oldbag...*shudder* I had to include her in here and ruin Edgeworth's day that much more. Anyway, I hope you guys did like this chapter! Feel free to leave me a review and/or private message me. I'm almost done with finals, so once this week's over, I'll be able to write and update more!**


	5. Turnabout Reunion

**This chapter is a little more focused on OCs, so yeah. **

******_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Ace Attorney series characters!_**

Chapter 5 - Turnabout Reunion

_You know? I should come to this park more often. It's actually pretty nice here. _Serena Sterling was strolling through People Park. _Although, I wish I was back in the ER. *sigh* I really don't want to have to wait another month to start working again. _

She was so consumed in her thoughts that she didn't hear someone call out to her. "Serena! Hey Serena!"

She finally looked up and around. "Who said that?" Turning around, she saw that it was Trucy who had yelled at her. She smiled a little and waved at the young magician, who ran over to her, with Iris following right behind her. "Hi Trucy. Iris. How are you?"

"Oh, we're good Serena. How about you?" Trucy asked happily.

"Oh, I'm doing well, thanks."

"Are you here by yourself, Serena?" Iris asked.

"Yeah. Just thought I'd get out of the apartment and get some fresh air."

"Then why don't you join us? You shouldn't be all by yourself. Plus we'd love the company!"

"Er…well…" _I don't want to intrude on them, but Trucy does look pretty insistent. I guess it couldn't hurt. _"Sure."

The young magician smiled brightly as she and Iris went to stand side-by-side next to Serena.

"So what else have you been up to lately?" Trucy asked curiously.

"I've just been trying to find ways to pretty much waste time. I've still got another month to go before I can get back to actually working."

Trucy frowned as she crossed her arms. "You know? It isn't fair that they won't let you go back to work, especially since you actually want to work. It doesn't make any sense."

Serena chuckled. "Yeah, I can see what you mean, but it's okay. I guess I do sort of need a bit of break, but I don't really know what I can do with all of the free time I have."

"How about you go on a date with someone?"

The doctor's eyes widened, and her cheeks turned a slight red color. "A…a d-date? Me?" She shook her head, smiling. "No way. I could never do that."

Trucy gaped at her. "Come on, Serena! You should totally go out on a date! Don't you want to meet your special someone and get married someday?!"

Serena considered the question. "That…would be nice. But, let's face it. I'm a 33 year old woman. I think my time for romance has long passed."

"Daddy's 34 years old, and he's dating Iris!"

_Heh, I don't really think Mr. Wright would appreciate you saying that, but I can't respond to that, can I? _"Well, if I'm not mistaken, Mr. Wright and Iris have known each other for a long time, right?" She saw Iris nod. "See? It makes sense that they would date. But me? No, it just wouldn't do."

Trucy crossed her arms. "I really think you should try it out."

"Anyway, enough about me! What's been going on with you, Iris? Are you all set for enrolling at the university this fall?"

Iris nodded. "Everything is going by smoothly, and it's all thanks to you, Serena. If you hadn't helped me out, I probably wouldn't have gotten accepted."

"Please don't thank me. I don't deserve it."

Trucy gasped. "Oh no! I almost forgot! We were supposed to meet Polly and Juniper back at the office!" Trucy exclaimed. "Sorry Serena, but it looks like we'll have to leave. But hey! My next magic show is coming up soon, so I want to see you there, okay?"

"Alright. Just let me know when it is, and I'll try to make it."

"You better!" She and Iris waved as they ran off.

_Those two are so nice. I don't even know how I could've come to know such great people. _Serena pushed her hands in her pockets as she continued her stroll around the park.

* * *

Serena sighed as she walked through the garage toward the stairs. After running into Trucy and Iris at the park, it had gone on to be another dull day in which she tried to find something productive to do, only to find herself driving to the ER.

_I need to stop driving to the ER like that. People might think I have some kind of problem or something._

She walked through the lobby of her apartment complex and past the waiting area. She was so distracted that she failed to notice that someone was sitting there.

"Well, I sure feel great being ignored by my best friend."

Serena looked up. _Wait. I know that chipper voice. _She turned around, and a smile lit up her face. "Sabrina? Is that really you?"

A woman with dirty blonde hair ran up to the doctor and pulled her into a big hug. "It sure is me! Oh, I missed you so much Rena!"

"I missed you too Sabrina! It's been so long since I've seen you!" Serena exclaimed, returning the hug. She pulled away. "What are you doing here? In Los Angeles? Here at my apartment complex?!"

Sabrina giggled. "I have my ways."

"Come on! Let's go up to my apartment, and we can talk more there! You have a lot of explaining to do!"

* * *

"Jeez, Rena. You haven't changed one bit," Sabrina commented, looking around her best friend's apartment while she seated on the couch. "You're obviously still the same stick in the mud you were so long ago!"

Serena chuckled. "I'm afraid so, Sabrina. I guess it can't be helped." She walked out of the kitchen and into the living room, where her blonde friend was. "Would you like something to drink?"

"You have coffee? Wait, no. Bad question. Of course you don't. You probably only have tea."

Serena smiled rather triumphantly. "Actually, this may come as a shock, but I happen to have some coffee in stock. I'll go make some for you."

"Serena Sterling has coffee in her home?! Stop the presses! This is a major story right here! Since when did you fall into the clutches of the delicious dark substance, Rena?"

"Ha ha ha. That's funny," Serena answered sarcastically. "_I_ didn't fall into it. But I had some guests come here, and I realized that I should keep things other than tea in stock for any more visitors I might get."

"I see. So…how's Thomas? He's out of jail now, isn't he?"

Serena's smile fell. "Actually, he's…he passed away."

Sabrina frowned. "Rena. I'm sorry."

"It's fine. I'm over it now."

"That must've been so hard for you."

Serena shrugged, brushing off the subject. "It's not a big deal. He knew it was going to happen. He just never told me until he…well…" She motioned her hand, indicating what she meant.

"Right."

"Here's your coffee, Sabrina." Serena sat down on the couch opposite from her friend. "So what are your plans, Sabrina? How long are you going to be here?"

"I'm staying for a while, although I don't know exactly how long 'a while' is going to be."

"What about work?"

"I'm going to work in a fashion boutique right here in LA. It's totally epic!"

"Wow. What's it called?"

"Totally epic."

"Wait. I thought you were that it is totally epic, but that's the name of the place?"

Sabrina nodded vigorously. "Yeah! Haven't you heard of it, Rena?" The doctor shook her head. "Man, Rena. You seriously need to get out more! I don't live in LA, and even I know about the place."

"You've always been knowledgeable when it comes to things like that, Sabrina," Serena pointed out.

"I guess you do have a point. We'll have to change that, now won't we?" A mischievous smile appeared on the blonde's face.

_Oh dear. I don't like the sound of that. I better change the subject and distract her before she starts getting some crazy ideas in her head. _"And where are you going to be staying, Sabrina?"

Sabrina crossed her arms. "Well, I'm staying at a hotel right now, but I want to find an apartment where I can stay for a couple of months. As nice as the hotel is, it's insanely expensive." She looked over at Sabrina. "You wouldn't happen to know if there's an apartment where I can stay, do you?"

Serena thought about it. "Well, actually, there is an apartment right here in the complex that's empty. My landlord, Mrs. Richards, has been looking for some to rent it out to."

"Oh! Will you talk to her and ask her if I can stay there?!" Sabrina asked eagerly.

"Of course I will, Sabrina! I'll make sure to ask her as soon as I see her!"

Sabrina got up and hugged her friend. "Yes! This is so exciting! I'll finally be able to keep an eye on you, Rena! I want to make sure you're taking good care of yourself!"

Serena just laughed while she returned the hug.

* * *

"They can't find out about me. Not yet. I'm…I'm not ready for that."

"Will you ever be ready?"

"I don't know. But…I can't do it now. I'm sure the time will come soon. But just not now."

**Yup. So I've been thinking about where I wanted this story to go, and I realized that I kind of want to make it another mystery (although I've been known to not write good mysteries…but I guess practice makes perfect!). I'm sorry it took me so long to get this chapter done! I was kind of going through I guess what you could call writer's block, but if to be completely honest, I went through sort of a "breakdown." I started thinking, "Oh my gosh. I don't know how I want this story to go!" and "This story is so awful! What am I doing?!" But then I kind of calmed down, and I've gained a little bit of confidence. **

**Anyway, enough of my rambling! I hope you guys enjoyed this relatively short chapter! I think I'm going to speed things up a bit, because things aren't going to be happening much if I don't have a bit of a time skip in the story. Please do feel free to leave a review and/or private message me. Thanks!**


	6. Turnabout Business

******_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Ace Attorney series characters!_**

Chapter 6 – Turnabout Business

**Background:**** It's been about two weeks since the last chapter. Serena has managed to get her best friend an apartment to rent out, which just so happens to be right next door to hers, allowing Sabrina to visit her often. As for our lawyers at the Wright Anything Agency, they've been working hard on some court cases which they had gotten. Kay has finally gotten hired at the Prosecutor's Office, and Serena's started her work as medical consultant for a couple of cases. **

Athena was in the office with Iris. The young defense attorney had noticed that Iris seemed a little upset. "Hey Iris. Is something bothering you?"

"Hm?" Iris had been spacing off, only to hear Athena ask her something. "No, there's nothing bothering me."

"My sensitive hearing tells me otherwise." Athena stood up from her desk and sat down next to the woman. "Come on. Tell me what's up. It's not nice seeing you all sad and depressed."

"Well," Iris began, wringing her hands in her lap. "It's…it's Feenie."

"Mr. Wright? What about him?"

"He's…he's been a bit distant these past few weeks."

_Hm…Now that she mentions it, she's right. Mr. Wright's been acting pretty strange lately. I can tell he's hiding something. _It was true. Phoenix had been rather quiet recently, and he had been leaving the office a lot with telling anyone where he was going or why.

Athena didn't bother to tell Iris of her suspicions, though. The poor woman was already worried. "Has he told you anything?"

Iris shook her head. "That's what has me worried. He's hiding something, Athena. I want to ask him what it is, but…I don't want to intrude. But…" She held her hand to face. "He just seems so tense. I hope everything's alright."

Athena tapped her earring as she thought. She didn't notice that Apollo had walked into the agency. She snapped her fingers. "I figured it out!" She turned to Iris, but then frowned. "But…it's not that great, Iris."

"What is it, Athena? What do you think is wrong?" Iris asked eagerly.

"Well, I hate to say this Iris, and it's only a possibility, but…maybe…maybe Mr. Wright's having an affair."

"WHAT?!"

Athena and Iris covered their ears. "Check the volume, Apollo!" Athena yelled.

"Athena! Did you hear what you just said?!" Apollo demanded incredulously.

"I know what I said, Apollo. But apparently, you didn't hear me. I said it's only a possibility."

"What exactly are you talking about anyway?" He sat down across from the two girls, and Athena had the now distraught Iris explain the situation.

_Hm…so he's hiding something from the two of them too. _

"What do you think Apollo?"

He looked up at Iris. "Hm…I think you're right in suspecting that he's hiding something, but I'm not so sure he's having an affair. Mr. Wright could never do something like that. Especially to someone as nice as Iris."

The three of them heard the door open, and in walked Phoenix.

"Hello Mr. Wright!" Athena said a little too brightly.

"Hello Athena, Apollo, Iris." Phoenix hung up his blue coat and walked into the office to his desk. Athena followed him, and Apollo was right behind her.

_He didn't notice Athena's all too cheery greeting. There's something wrong here. _Apollo regarded his boss carefully.

Athena started the questioning. "So Mr. Wright. Where did you go?"

Phoenix was leaning down to get something out of one of the cabinets. "Hm? Oh, just out."

"Just out, huh?"

Phoenix looked up at her. "Uh…yeah. Is there something wrong with that?"

"No," Athena replied all too nonchalantly.

"That's-" He was cut off by the sound of a door shutting, and he saw that Apollo had shut the door behind him.

"You're lying, Mr. Wright." Apollo walked up to him, crossing his arms. "And we want to know why."

The two younger defense attorneys stood on either side of his desk, and basically had him cornered. _What is going on here?! Why do they have me cornered? And why are they not arguing with each other?! Something's seriously up here. _Phoenix straightened up. "Who's says I'm lying?"

"My bracelet," Apollo answered, tapping it.

Phoenix cleared his throat. "If you must know, I was out on important business." Before Athena could even let a word slip out of her mouth, he continued. "Private business which is none of your business."

She slammed on his desk. "Mr. Wright! I demand to know! What-"

"Hey everyone! Guess who's officially out of school for the summer?! ME!" An energetic voice called out from outside the door.

"Quick! Act normal!" Phoenix whispered the instant before Trucy opened the door.

Apollo and Athena looked to each other and started yelling. "Apollo! Why do you have to yell so loud?!"

"Why do you have to be so nosy?!"

Athena gasped. "I am not nosy! How dare you call me nosy?!"

Trucy laughed, shaking her head. "Looks like everything is normal here at the Wright Anything Agency!" She skipped out to where Iris was and started talking with her.

Apollo and Athena watched as Phoenix followed Trucy out. They stopped their fake fight.

"He's definitely hiding something, Apollo. And we're going to find out what."

"We are?" Apollo asked, a defeated tone in his voice.

"Yes, we are, Apollo." She propped her hands on her hips. "We're going to find out what Mr. Wright's hiding if it's the last thing we do!"

_I really hope it isn't the last thing we do. _

"And seriously?! How could you call me nosy?!"

"It's not like it isn't true, Athena."

"Hey!"

* * *

"Alright Mr. Edgeworth. I got your message and came here as soon as I could."

"Please, sit down Ms. Sterling. I'm afraid they haven't done a complete autopsy report, but I do have a preliminary one here, if you'd like to take a look."

She took the file from him and started reading it over. "You wouldn't happen to have the pa...I mean, victim's medical history, would you?"

"Yes, but he didn't have any major diseases or illnesses at all. He seemed to be a rather healthy individual."

She nodded, still focused on the file. "So they haven't determined the murder weapon…" She looked up. "No cause of death either?"

He shook his head. "No. We're still waiting for the updated autopsy report."

"Right…" She read over the report one more time, then sat back in the chair. "So they just found him dead at his home. No stab wound." She flipped through the file once more. "Do they have a description of what the victim looked like?"

"Yes, it should be on the second page of the report."

Serena flipped to said page and read through it. "Hm…jaundice…" She frowned. "This…isn't enough to determine a possible cause of death. Did anyone see the victim or interact with them before he died?"

"Yes, I have that here in the police report. The testimony of the maid." He passed the papers to her, and she read through them.

"'Sir was acting rather odd. He seemed rather confused, and he complained he felt a sick, as if he was going to throw up. He also said he was in pain.'" She put the papers down. "So once the police get the final autopsy report done, they'll bring it to you, right?"

"Yes, that's correct." He leaned forward a little. "Do you have any idea what could be the issue, Ms. Sterling?"

"Well, from the looks of all this, and given that testimony, I want to say that this victim suffered from acute liver failure."

"Liver failure?"

She nodded. "That's just one possibility, but given these signs and symptoms, I say it's highly probable."

"So…that means no one couldn't have killed him. Am I mistaken?"

"That's…where it gets complicated." She looked up at him. "See, there are many causes for acute liver failure. There's hepatitis and cancer, not to mention the rarer diseases. But then, on the other hand, it can also be caused by drugs too, namely acetaminophen overdose."

"Ah, I see what you mean. Can it happen within a day, or is it something that develops over a period of time?"

"There are two situations for that case. Either the victim consumed more than the recommended dose of the drug, or he severely overdosed on it. For the former, it would take a few days, and for the latter, it wouldn't take too long at all."

"Right."

"So…I hate to say this, but I suppose there is the possibility that someone 'helped' the victim overdose on a drug enough to cause them liver failure and kill them."

"Hm…That is a possibility."

"Mr. Edgeworth!" Detective Gumshoe entered the room. "I've got the autopsy report!"

"Detective, please be a little more quiet, and thank you." Edgeworth accepted the report.

"Hello there, Dr. Sterling! How are you?"

Serena smiled at the detective. "I'm fine, Detective Gumshoe. How about you?"

"I'm doing well, thanks! I'll see you later, Mr. Edgeworth. Bye Dr. Sterling." He left the room.

"He seems so sweet," Serena commented as she turned around in her chair.

"Hmph. He can be a little overexcited, though." He read over the report. "It would seem that you're right, Ms. Sterling?" His eyes went to her. "They found copious amounts of acetaminophen in the victim's body."

Serena nodded. "I was worried you'd say that. The question now is whether this was a murder or a suicide."

"Yes, that's what we'll need to find out." Edgeworth filed the papers together, and then pulled out another folder. "If you don't mind, Ms. Sterling, I do have another case to take a look at."

She shrugged, smiling. "No problem. I'm still out of work, remember?"

"Of course." He pulled out the papers. "This is a case involving a car accident."

Serena took the papers from him and read through them. "Closed TBI…hm... That doesn't make any sense."

"Er…Ms. Sterling. Excuse me for interrupting, but I was wondering what was meant by TBI."

She looked up. "Of course! TBI stands for traumatic brain injury." She went on about it. "There's a closed TBI, meaning that the brain moved within the skull, versus a penetrating TBI, in which case a foreign object actually entered the skull. For example, a closed TBI can result from a car accident where the passenger gets violently jolted in their seat. A penetrating TBI would be like…" She shuddered. "Stabbing someone in the back of the head." She frowned.

"That being said, I don't think you could jump to the conclusion that the car accident was the reason why the victim died. You could also get a closed TBI if you got hit extremely hard by an object."

"The person in the car with the victim said that the jolt was very strong, and that his friend was presumably dead before the police came." Edgeworth frowned now, crossing his arms. "But you bring up a good point. There still is the chance that this friend was lying. If I recall correctly, he wasn't too cooperative with the police."

"Not to mention, if the jolt was as violent as he said it was, it's surprising that he came out of the accident without some significant damage."

"Hm…it would seem there's more to this than we thought." He sighed. "Thank you, Ms. Sterling. This surely will prove to help out in court."

"No problem. Who's going to be taking over the cases, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Kay…I mean, Prosecutor Faraday will be working on the car accident case, while Prosecutor Blackquill will be working on the drug overdose case." He noticed how she paled a little when he mentioned Simon. "Will that be an issue, Ms. Sterling?"

"Hm? Oh, no," she said, smiling nervously.

"If you're worried about Prosecutor Blackquill, don't be. He can be quite rough, especially during your trial, but he surely won't be as…callous as he was then with you." _At least, I do hope so. _

She sighed in relief. "Oh thank goodness. I have to admit, I was a little worried. Thanks." Just then, her cellphone rang. "It's…from the hospital. Um, please excuse me." Serena answered the call as she made her way to the door. "Yes, this is she?...Yes? I am, why?...What? This isn't a prank, is it?!" She was standing the doorway. "Oh my gosh! Thank you so much! You have no idea how happy I am!...I will. Thank you. Bye." Serena was beaming as she turned around and entered his office.

"Some happy news, Ms. Sterling?" _I've never seen her this happy before. _

She nodded enthusiastically. "The hospital called. They want me to come back to work, starting this weekend!"

"Wow. Congratulations. I can only imagine how pleased you must be."

"I really am. It'll be nice to be back in the ER again." She had calmed down by then. "Is there anything else, Mr. Edgeworth?" He shook his head. "I should probably get going then."

"Thank you again, Ms. Sterling."

"You're welcome, Mr. Edgeworth. See you." She left the office.

As Edgeworth was putting away the papers, his door opened and someone came in.

"Mr. Edgeworth. Who was that lovely lady who just left your office?"

"Why hello Kay. Yes, I am doing well, thank you for asking. I hope you're doing well also."

"You're avoiding the question, Mr. Edgeworth. Who is she?"

Edgeworth watched as the newest recruit to the Prosecutor's Office made herself comfortable in the chair. "She's our temporary medical consultant, Serena Sterling. Why do you ask, Kay?"

Kay smiled cheekily. "Oh Mr. Edgeworth. Even after all these years, you still manage to attract ladies to you, don't you?"

"W-what?! What nonsense are you spouting off, Kay?! Ms. Sterling is merely helping us out is all. She isn't here because she's attracted to me!"

"Of course she isn't." She still had the naughty smile on her face. "Anyway, you said you had a case for me."

"Yes, I do. It's about the car accident that occurred yesterday in which the driver was found." He handed Kay the case file.

She glanced at it for a quick moment. "Looks good, Mr. Edgeworth!"

_You barely even looked at it! Goodness, I hope she'll be more serious. _"Kay. This is your first case. Do you think you can handle it?"

Kay pouted. "Mr. Edgeworth! How could you possibly doubt me like that?! Of course I can handle it!" She reached into her pocket and pulled out a device that was all-too-familiar to Edgeworth. "Especially since I have Little Thief with me!"

Edgeworth sighed. "Kay. The least you could do is rename it so that people don't get the wrong idea about it."

Kay snorted. "As if! How could rename my precious Little Thief?!" She hugged it to her. "Come on, Little Thief! We've got some investigating to do."

He shook his head. "Oh, Kay. You do worry me too much."

**Not exactly a fun chapter. I've got the next one in the works. Please feel free to leave a review or private message me. Thanks! **


	7. Turnabout Introductions

**Warning: Quite a few OCs in this chapter, but there's also a little bit of Athena, Trucy and Edgeworth.**

**********_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Ace Attorney series characters!_**

Chapter 7 - Turnabout Introductions

Serena couldn't stop smiling when she entered the ER for the first time in almost two months. _It feels like I'm coming home! _She took a deep breath in and exhaled. "Ah! The wonderful smell of disinfectant bright and early in the morning." It made her feel all giddy inside.

"Dr. Sterling! Welcome back!" Serena was shocked when Tina came up to her and hugged her. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you!"

Serena returned the hug. "I'm happy to see you too, Tina." _But I could've thought you didn't like me. _

"I missed you a lot. This ER," the nurse looked around the place before she turned back to the doctor. "It just wasn't the same without you."

Serena smiled. "That's so nice of you to say that, Tina. I'm very happy to be back at work."

"And we're happy that you're here, Dr. Sterling," Yolanda said.

Serena couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed by the warm welcome she received. _This is…so nice. No one's ever welcomed me like this since…since ever. _She then checked the whiteboard to see who she would be working with. She became a bit confused when she saw that one of the doctors on the board was listed as being, "the new doctor."

Serena spoke to Tina. "Tina. Who's the new doctor that got hired?" She faced the nurse. "Apparently, the person I was supposed to meet with at the restaurant a while go wasn't interested in the position."

"It's Dr. Emilio. He moved into the area a little while ago. Nice guy. He's been working most of his time at the main hospital, though."

"Oh, that's nice. And what's his first name?"

Tina snorted a little, trying to hold in her laughter. "Pfft…Otis…"

Serena quirked an eyebrow at Tina, but nodded her head slowly. "I see. Thanks. Just curious. When's he coming in?"

"He should be here in an hour."

Serena gazed up at the clock, which read 7:30. "I look forward to meeting him then," Serena added as she grabbed a chart.

* * *

Dr. Emilio indeed did come in at 8:30 that morning.

He was a tall, 5 foot 7 guy with short brown hair, green eyes, and tanned skin. He had a relatively lean figure and was clean shaven.

He greeted the nurses with a quick hello as he sauntered into the ER, but he stopped dead in his tracks as he noticed someone new.

"Whoa! Who…who is that?!"

Tina followed his eyes. "Oh, her? That's Serena Sterling. She's head of the ER here."

Dr. Emilio was star struck. "Where has that angel been all of my life?" His eyes never left her. Serena was standing in front of one of the cabinets, searching for a T-sheet, and she hadn't noticed the man gawking at her.

"She's been on a mandatory vacation for about the past two months. Today happens to be her first day back." Tina stood next to him, her arms crossed, also watching Serena.

Dr. Emilio was completely mesmerized. "I must go introduce myself to her."

"Now hold on there, big guy. You're not going to be able to talk to her for a while. She's going in to see a patient right now," Tina explained. "Wait until she gets out and isn't busy." She then walked away from him when the next patient's chart was put on the counter.

He continued staring at Serena, who was now filling out the chart she held. "Serena Sterling…what an elegant name. Quite fitting for such an elegant woman."

* * *

Serena was leaning over a chart at the counter near the nurse's station, reading it carefully when she sensed a presence next to her. She slowly lifted her head up and turned to her right to see a man wearing a blue dress shirt and slacks. "Um, can I help you with something, sir?" She inquired with a polite smile on her face.

"No, no, I'm fine."

She nodded, and then turned her attention back to her chart. _That guy is still standing next to me. I can feel it. What does he want? _"Er…are you sure there's nothing you need?"

"Absolutely nothing."

Once more, she turned to her chart. She leaned down, trying to ignore his presence, but it was useless. _*Sigh* That's it. _She stood up straight and turned her body to face him. "I'm sorry, but I don't believe we've met."

He cleared his throat and bowed rather dramatically at her. She took few steps back from him. "I am Otis Emilio, at your service," he introduced himself, then looked up at her from his bent position. "Milady."

Serena stared at him before shaking herself out of her reverie. "It's very nice to finally meet you, Dr. Emilio." She held her hand out to him, a friendly smile on her face. "My name is Serena Sterling."

"Enchanted to make your acquaintance, Serena Sterling." He held her hand.

Serena squeaked when he brought it up to his lips and kissed it, her eyes nearly bugging out of her head. She quickly pulled her hand away as soon as his grip loosened. She smiled uneasily. "Right. I'll…uh…talk to you later."

She picked up her chart and pressed it against her chest as she quickly walked away from the doctor. She could feel that her face was still bright red. _That…was way too awkward._ She turned around to see that he was watching her. She quickly faced the front once more, her face turning even redder. _Why did he kiss my hand?! Who even does that these days?! Well, maybe he was taught that that's the polite thing to do…Yeah. I bet that's it._

* * *

It was 12:30, and Serena was sitting in the doctor's room idly. _If only someone would come in to be seen. I haven't seen a patient in the last ten minutes!_

"Hey, Serena." She turned in her seat to see that it was Dr. Emilio who had called out to her. He was sitting a couple of chairs away from her. "Since there aren't any patients here, I thought it might be a good time for us to get to know each other better."

"Oh…er…sure, why not?" _No harm in that. It'll be nice to get to know him a little better. _"How about you start and tell me a little bit about yourself, Dr. Emilio?"

"Please, don't call me Dr. Emilio. You may call me Otis. And me? Oh, there isn't much about me. I grew up in San Francisco, went to college there, as well as med school." He grinned. "Would be surprised if I told you I was a theater major in college?"

Serena's eyebrows went up. "I can't say I'm surprised, but that is an interesting major to take up, especially for someone who ended becoming doctor."

"I took a theater class my freshman year, and my professor told me that I simply just had to major in theater, which is why. Now, how about you tell me about yourself, Serena?"

"Oh, about me?" She shrugged. "There isn't much to say about myself. I grew up here in Los Angeles, but I went to med school in Borginia, then I came back and started working here. That's pretty much my story."

One of his eyebrows went up. "Oh? I find that hard to believe. A lovely lady such as yourself must have a bigger story to share, hm? I can just see it in your lovely brown eyes." He happened to be staring right into her eyes when he said that.

Serena couldn't help but turn a little red again. She wasn't exactly used to getting complimented so much, especially by a guy. She turned away from his green eyes, hoping that her face wasn't as red as it felt like it was. "I assure you, that's pretty much all there is to know about me which is important."

"I beg to disagree. I'm sure there's much more I have to learn about you. But it's fine. I like a challenge."

Serena nodded, logging into her computer. She checked the time. _12:35. Oh boy. It's going to be a long hour and a half before I get home. _She got up to see if any new charts were in the rack. She resisted the urge to groan. _Especially with things going so slow._

* * *

"Athena. Athena. Athena!"

"Huh? What?" Athena realized that Trucy was calling out her name.

"I've been trying to get your attention for so long, Athena! Are you okay?!"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking is all."

"Oh. I was also thinking. We need to continue on our mission."

Athena was confused. "Mission? What mission?" _She doesn't know about our mission to find out Mr. Wright's secret, does she?! _

"The mission to find Mr. Edgeworth his special someone, silly!"

"Oh! Right! That mission!" _Phew! That was a close one!_

"Yeah! I was wondering…do you have any idea what our next move is going to be?"

Athena grimaced. "Well, after that little incident at the restaurant, I think Mr. Edgeworth is going to be a little more careful before accepting offers to go out with us."

"I guess you're right about that. But the first thing we need to do is find out who we should set him up with next."

"We should find someone else. Someone not as crazy as that other girl."

She and Trucy shuddered at the memory of Hazel. "Good idea. We should also talk to Kay about this, too. After all, she is the one who probably knows Mr. Edgeworth the best, and I'm sure she's still interested in being a part of our mission."

* * *

That afternoon, after she had gotten out of work, Serena and Sabrina were walking down the street towards the movie theater. Sabrina had somehow convinced Serena to go outside of the apartment so that the two friends could do something fun together.

Sabrina had been going on and on about her new job, while Serena patiently listened to her friend. Sabrina, however, immediately got distracted by a display in one of the stores they were passing, so she stopped to press her nose against the window before she entered the store.

Serena stood outside, leaning against the wall. She looked to see a familiar.

"Ms. Sterling. I'm glad I ran into you. I had something to tell you."

Serena walked over to him. "Hello Mr. Edgeworth. What is it?"

"I've spoken with Prosecutor Blackquill and Prosecutor Faraday about what you told me regarding their cases, and they'd like to meet with you to get ready for the trial. Would you happen to know when you might be available to go speak with them?"

Serena thought for a moment. "Well, I have work tomorrow, so that won't work, but how about the day after tomorrow, which is…Monday? Would that be fine?"

"Yes, that sounds alright. Thank you."

"RENA! I got the best sale ever on so many clothes!" Sabrina came out of the store with two bags in each hand, a round hat on her head and a white "I LA" t-shirt. "I even saw some cute outfits you should get!" She then stared at Edgeworth for a moment. "Who's this, Rena?"

"Oh! Right. Mr. Edgeworth, this is Sabrina Reece, my best friend. And Sabrina. This is Miles Edgeworth. He's Chief Prosecutor here in Los Angeles."

"Hello," Edgeworth greeted the blonde woman with a nod of his head. _Reece…I wonder if she's related to the Reece family. _

"A prosecutor, huh? It's nice to meet you. Gee, Rena." Sabrina nudged Serena in the side. "You seem to be chummy with a lot of lawyers. What? Are you planning on committing a crime or something?!" Sabrina laughed.

Serena just stared blankly at Sabrina, shaking her head. "That…isn't funny, Sabrina."

She stopped laughing. "Oh…Sorry."

"Ms. Reece. You wouldn't happen to be related to Mr. and Mrs. Reece?" Edgeworth remembered the couple whose party he had attended a while ago.

"Oh, that business couple? No, I'm not." Sabrina crossed her arms, an annoyed look on her face. "People have been asking me that a lot." She gave him a once over. "So…are you single?"

Serena's eyes widened in shock. "Sabrina! What have I told you about asking people such personal questions?!" She reprimanded. Shaking her head, Serena said to Edgeworth, "I'm so sorry, Mr. Edgeworth. She only means well."

Sabrina rolled her eyes. "It was just a simple question, Rena. No need to freak out! Seriously! Take a chill pill!"

"I'll take a chill pill when you take a stop-being-nosy pill!"

_They're arguing like siblings. _"Ahem. It's…fine, Ms. Sterling. And for the record, Ms. Reece, I am single. Is that an issue?"

"Oh…That's not an issue at all! That's actually nice." Sabrina placed one hand on her hip and pointed with her right hand at him, all while still holding onto all of her shopping bags. "You know, I may be a fashion designer in training, but I just so happen to also be a matchmaker! So if you'd want to-"

"I think that's enough from you, Sabrina." Serena grabbed her friend's arm lightly, cutting her off. "We should get going if you don't miss that movie." Serena smiled apologetically to him. "I'm sorry we have to leave so abruptly. And thank you for letting me know about the cases. I'll make sure to come to the office Monday morning."

"It's alright. Thank you. Good day."

"You too!" Serena began dragging Sabrina away, who was yelling aloud at her.

"Hey! I was just trying to see if I could get some business!"

"Sabrina. Not everyone's looking for a relationship, you know!"

"And not everyone's like you, Rena! Just because you aren't looking for a relationship doesn't mean other people aren't."

"I know that, but still. Just…try to not to be so blatantly nosy! Get to know the person a little better before you start offering your matchmaking services to them!"

"Alright, alright! You can stop lecturing me, now! I've learned my lesson. No more random matchmaking!" Sabrina gasped loudly.

"What?! What's wrong?!" Serena asked, concerned at Sabrina's action.

"LOOK AT THOSE SHOES! I MUST HAVE THEM!" Her best friend shrieked before she ran into another store.

Serena noticed how some people had been staring at the two of them. She held her head, sighing. "Oh Sabrina. You really haven't changed," she mumbled to herself. Nonetheless, Serena couldn't help the smile that emerged on her face.

**I promise that Phoenix, Iris, Apollo and Juniper will be in the next chapter! Hope you guys liked this one, even though there weren't many canon characters in it. Feel free to leave a review or private message me! Thanks! **


	8. Turnabout Investigation

**Juniepolly is in this chapter! Yeah! I've been trying to fit them somewhere in this mess! And I did include Iris, but it's a brief little section. Hope you like it! It's not very great, I personally think, and it's kind of short. **

**************_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Ace Attorney series characters!_**

Chapter 8 - Turnabout Investigation

"I'm so glad that we were able to find some time to spend together, Juniper." Apollo and Juniper were both walking down the streets of Los Angeles on the Sunday afternoon.

Juniper had her arm looped through Apollo's, and she smiled sweetly. "I know. Just a couple more weeks, and I'll be finally out of school."

"Just out of school? Juniper! You're graduating this year!" He sighed happily. "I can wait to see you get your diploma on graduation day!"

She just blushed. "I'm so happy that you'll be able to make it, Polly."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world! I'll be sitting in the front most row, and when they announce your name, I'm going to yell out loud for everyone to hear!"

"Oh! I can't wait to hear it!"

"I've been practicing my Chords of Steel workout for an extra hour for the past month to get ready for it."

"But what about your neighbors, Polly? Won't they get upset at you for practicing so early in the morning?" Juniper asked, concerned about her boyfriend's tendency to annoy the people who lived in his apartment complex.

Apollo rubbed the back of his head, smiling guiltily as he chuckled. "Er…there may have been…one or two complaints…" He then became a bit more serious. "But it's fine. I want to make sure I'm absolutely prepared for your graduation!"

"Oh Apollo! You're so sweet!" She leaned up to kiss his cheek, and once she pulled away, she saw a light blush on his cheeks.

Apollo and her continued walking down the street together. He was looking around at all of the different people.

_A nice couple holding hands together, a couple of school boys talking, a guy wearing a gray hoodie and a blue beanie…wait! _

Apollo stopped walking, and Juniper looked up at him. "What's wrong, Polly?"

Apollo stared at the man. _It couldn't be…Mr. Wright?! _

"Apollo?"

He turned to Juniper. "See that man?" He pointed to the figure. Juniper looked over, spotted him, then turned to look at Apollo. "I think that's Mr. Wright."

Juniper tilted her head to the side a little. "But…Mr. Wright doesn't dress like that. That man…he looks like a…a…"

"A hobo, right?" He saw Juniper blush a little. "It's okay for you to say that, Juniper. It is true after all. He really does look like a hobo."

"Why is he dressed like that?" Juniper wondered aloud.

"I don't really know, but I have a hunch that he's going to meet someone."

"Should…should we follow him, Polly?" Juniper asked, clearly unsure.

"Hm…" _I really shouldn't barge into Mr. Wright's private life, but…he has been acting strange, and I want to know why. _"Yeah," Apollo replied slowly. "We should follow him, and see what he's up to."

Taking Juniper's hand in his, Apollo led her down the street in the direction where Phoenix had gone. The two of them stopped a little ways away when he entered an apartment building.

"Let's head in there," Apollo said, walking towards the building. They both approached the elevators, but stayed a good distance behind so that Phoenix wouldn't see them. He had entered the elevator alone.

Once the doors closed, Apollo ran up to the elevator and checked which floor he went to. "He's going to the 7th floor!" He exclaimed. "Come on, Juniper! We can take this other elevator."

They took the elevator up, and as the door opened to the seventh floor, Apollo held onto Juniper before she could get out. They both watched as he walked down the hall and stopped in front of one of the rooms.

Before they could get out and investigate though, an elderly lady entered the elevator and pushed the button to go down.

They both got out of the elevator and went to the main lobby, where they exited the building.

"Do you know who he went to visit, Polly?" Juniper asked curiously.

"Er…no…no, I don't." _Mr. Wright. Just what are you up to? And why are you hiding this from all of us? _Apollo didn't want to be suspicious of Mr. Wright. He was his boss after all, not to mention his idol, although he never usually told Phoenix that. But even Apollo had to admit, something was going on with the defense attorney. Something strange, and this little investigation had him worried.

* * *

On Monday morning, Kay was sitting at her desk, reading through the case file. She let own a long yawn and sighed heavily when she heard a knock on the door. "It's open!"

A mop of black hair popped in through the doorway. "Um…is this Prosecutor Faraday's office?"

Kay looked up to see a familiar-looking black-haired woman wearing glasses. "Yeah. Come on in!"

The woman smiled and entered the office, shutting the door behind her. Before she could introduce herself, Kay spoke up. "My name's Kay Faraday, but you can call me, Kay, 'kay?!" (**AN: I just wanted to put this in here, but as I was writing this particular dialogue, Kay's theme song played on my playlist. It was pretty awesome!**) "You're Serena Sterling, aren't you?"

"Yeah. That's me. It's nice to meet you, Kay."

"Please, have a seat, Ms. Sterling. Oh. Can I call you Serena? Ms. Sterling is so…formal."

Serena shrugged. "That's fine. Most people call me Serena anyway." Serena sat down.

"Mr. Edgeworth told me all about what you told him about the case. Sounds pretty interesting. You'll be able to handle testifying, right?" The doctor nodded. "Right. So…before we get too far along, how about you tell me a little more about yourself?"

"About myself?" The doctor shrugged. "There's not really much to say about me. I'm an ER doctor. I live in an apartment by myself." She shrugged.

Kay nodded her head, then asked, "What are some of your favorite things? Like you know, favorite color, food, place, things like that?"

"Well, I don't mind any colors really, although my favorite would definitely have to be pink. I'm not too picky with food, but I do love noodles. And my favorite place would probably have to be here in Los Angeles, but Borginia comes in as a close second."

"Cool! I've lived here, but I spent a lot of time with my mom. She lives a little faraway from here." Serena nodded. "I just recently became a prosecutor, you know?"

"No, I didn't really know that. What made you want to become a prosecutor, if you don't mind my asking?"

Kay waved a hand in the air. "No problem! Ask me anything and everything!" She then smiled brightly. "I'm continuing my father's legacy. He was a prosecutor, but he passed away when I was young."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"It's fine. I'm okay with it. I'm sure he's watching over me, and that he's proud of me."

"That's admirable…continuing your father's legacy…" The doctor looked away.

"What about your parents? What do they do?"

"Oh…they…they were entrepreneurs."

"Wow. That's cool! Do you visit them often?"

Serena's eyes became a bit distant, but the corner of her lips went up a little. "Yeah….I guess I do visit them often. I see them once a week, or I try to see them once a week." She sighed a little before she clasped her hands together. "So…how about we get to work?"

"Oh, right." Kay frowned a little. "Work. But hey!" She perked up immediately. "I'm sure we'll be working together a lot down the road, so then maybe we can get to know each other even better then!"

Serena just grinned. "That sounds like a good plan.

* * *

Kay and Serena discussed the case and what the plan of action was for the upcoming trial. "This is going to be an awesome trial! I can't wait!"

Serena laughed a little as she stood up. "Well Kay. I have to get going now."

Kay noticed that the doctor looked a little worried. "Hey! Is something bothering you?"

"No, no. It's just…well…I'm going to visit Prosecutor Blackquill next."

"Oh. Do you two not get along?" Kay had met the prosecutor once. He did seem a little…on the dark side, but nonetheless, she thought he was alright.

"Well, we sort of encountered each other in case, and…I can't say he really liked what I did."

"Oh…Well, I hate to freak you out, but here's just a few things you might wanna know before you go to his office. He has a lot of swords on display. He also has a hawk too. I think its name was…" Kay tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Ah yes! It was Taka! Kind of a creepy bird. I heard he's been known to attack witnesses, and even defense attorneys."

Kay looked up at Serena, whose face was quite pale. The prosecutor stood up and walked over to her, patting her on the back gently. "Good luck."

Serena nodded her head as she gulped. "Thank you." She then left the office, praying that the prosecutor would show her some mercy.

* * *

"Hey! Check out this magic trick, Iris!" Trucy said as she pulled out her magic panties.

While Trucy did the trick, Iris just sat there, staring at nothing in particular. _Feenie…why have you been so distant lately? What's been going on with you? Are you really having an affair with someone, like Athena suggested? Oh I wish I could just ask you directly. _

"Iris? Iris? Iris!"

Iris gasped as she realized that Trucy had been trying to get her attention. "I'm sorry, Trucy." Iris smiled a little. "What did you need, Trucy?"

Trucy was frowning for a moment, but she turned it upside. "I wanted you to check out this trick with my magic panties that I'm planning on performing at my next magic show! Check it out!"

Iris watched the magician, trying to focus, but her mind kept drifting to worrying about Phoenix.

Once she was finished, Trucy asked, "So? What do you think?! Did you like it?!"

Iris smiled once more as she nodded her head. "Yes, it was nice. I'm sure everyone will love it."

"Thanks! I knew you'd like it!" Trucy went to another part of the office to look for one of her props, leaving Iris to dwell in her thoughts.

_What am I supposed to do? This problem is all I can think about. _Her eyes drifted over to Trucy, who was talking to Charley the plant while she watered him. _No. I can't be constantly worried about Feenie. I need to be here for Trucy. _Iris stood up and approached Trucy. "Trucy. Would you like something to eat?"

Trucy stopped her watering and thought about the question. "You know? I was getting a little hungry."

"I have some mini-omelettes I made, if you'd like some."

Trucy's face brightened. "Oh! Daddy told me you make the best mini-omelettes! I'd love to have one!" Trucy squealed.

Iris laughed. "Alright then. Let me get them out of my bag and heat them up for you. And maybe once we're done eating, you could show me some of your other magic tricks."

"That's sounds wonderful!" Iris had forgotten her worries for the time being.

* * *

Meanwhile…

"Hm…very soon…my plan shall reach completion very soon," a dark, ominous and smooth voice spoke into the darkness. "Phoenix Wright…"

**Yeah, I don't know if I've mentioned this already, but I'm definitely making this one kind of a mystery, and I might have one trial in it, although I'm not too sure about that at the moment. Anyway, feel free to leave a review or private message me. Thanks!**


	9. Turnabout Diner

**Warning: This chapter is super random, and it's long. I realized that given the direction the story is going to go, I need some goofy stuff in here to help with later on. So yeah. Sorry for the craziness. **

******************_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Ace Attorney series characters!_**

Chapter 9 – Turnabout Diner (**AN: Not the best title, but I couldn't come up with a better one.**)

**Background:**** It's Friday night, a week after Apollo and Juniper were following Phoenix around. Our friends are all at the Wonder Bar, waiting for Trucy's magic show to begin. **

"I'm so excited for this! I haven't been to a magic show since…ever!" Kay spoke to Athena. The two of them were sitting at one table. At the other tables in the front row were Iris and Phoenix, Apollo and Juniper, and Edgeworth.

Athena smiled. "Yeah! Trucy's great. You're gonna love it!" She then turned to the person sitting next to her. "And I heard she's got some new tricks up her sleeve, tricks she learned from a certain someone." She nudged said someone.

"Hmph. I have not an inkling of what you speak of, Athena."

"Sure you don't," she countered, shaking her head. She leaned towards Kay and whispered to her. "So. Is Operation Diner a go?"

Kay nodded. "Yup. They should be here soon."

The two of them looked up when they noticed that two people were coming into the room.

"This is so exciting, Rena! I didn't know you went to go see magic shows! I guess you actually do have a life outside that ER."

"I'm going to act like you didn't say that," Serena replied. She waved her hand at the Wright Anything Agency group.

"So where are we going to sit?"

Serena searched the area. "We can sit at that table near Mr. Edgeworth's table. It's the only one that isn't occupied." The two friends made their way over there and took their seats.

"Looks like we're right on time," Sabrina whispered to Serena when the announcer came on.

"Yeah, you're right. Now let's watch. You're gonna love it!"

The show was an absolute success, as always. Trucy had performed a whole bunch of her magic tricks. In particular, she had one trick involving her magic wand. She had the audience oohing and aahing when she waved the wand around as if it was a sword. Of course, during that mini-performance, Apollo, Phoenix, and Athena had glanced over at Prosecutor Blackquill, who acted oblivious, although Athena didn't miss the impressed smile he had on his face when he was watching.

Everyone went over to congratulate Trucy. "Trucy! OMG! That was absolutely fabulous! You are totally amazing!" Sabrina complimented the young magician, who just bowed and giggled.

"Thank you, Sabrina! I'm glad you enjoyed the show!"

Serena smiled as she added, "It really was wonderful, Trucy. Great job." She then looked at her watch, then up at Sabrina. "Alright, Sabrina. I've got to get going."

"Going? Where?!"

"To the hospital. Remember what I told you when we were coming here? I have to go in tonight to cover for one of the doctors."

"Are you serious, Rena?! I thought we were going to have movie night tonight! Now what am I going to do with my free time?!"

"I'm sorry, Sabrina, but they really need me to go in. We can have movie night tomorrow, I promise. Now I've got to go if I don't want to be late. See you guys later!" She waved at them as she ran out of the club. Sabrina huffed a little.

"We're all going to the diner, Sabrina. You'll come with us, won't you?!" Athena asked the blonde. Serena had brought Sabrina to the Wright Anything Agency on a visit a week ago and introduced her to the group, and Sabrina, being the friendly, fun person she was made friends with everyone quickly, especially with Athena and Trucy.

The once pouting blonde immediately perked up at the offer. "Of course I'll come! As if I'd ever pass an offer to hang out with people!"

Athena and Kay share a secret smile. Kay had been introduced to Sabrina during the break in Trucy's show, and had immediately taken a liking to the lively woman.

At the beginning of the show, Trucy had produced a bouquet of light red carnations which she had thrown specifically to Edgeworth, who even though caught by surprise, caught them. They were still in his possession when he went up to Trucy. "Trucy, I believe these are yours." He held them out to her.

She shook her head. "No thanks, Mr. Edgeworth. Besides, who knows? You might just need them," she said, smiling innocently.

"Er…right." _Hm…that smile seems just a bit too…innocent. _

"Alright then! What are we waiting for?! Let's go!" Athena announced, taking Simon by the arm.

"Actually, you guys go ahead."

Iris looked to Phoenix. "What do you mean, Feenie? Aren't you coming with us?"

He shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't. I…have something I need to do. But you won't mind bringing Trucy back to my apartment, would you, Iris?"

She shook her head. "Er…N…no. I won't."

"Actually Mr. Wright, Trucy was going to come over and stay with me at my apartment tonight, remember?" Athena reminded him.

"Oh, that's right. Okay then. Make sure to call me when you get there, okay?"

"What do you need to do, Daddy?"

"Some business I need to take care, Trucy. That's all. I'll see you soon. Bye you guys." He quickly made his way out the door.

Athena and Iris exchanged glances, while Apollo was staring at the door through which Phoenix left, his eyes narrowed.

"Well…I guess that means there's going to be less of us, but that's okay!" Trucy then spoke to Edgeworth. "You're going to come with us too, right Mr. Edgeworth?"

"I suppose I wouldn't mind coming along."

"Great!" Trucy said just a little too enthusiastically, at least in the prosecutor's opinion.

* * *

The guys had all lagged behind the girls, who all ran to the diner. Edgeworth was the last of the group to enter, and when he did, he was stopped by Trucy.

"So Mr. Edgeworth," Trucy began. "We all know how your last date…didn't go as well as we had hoped."

Edgeworth's mind flashed back to that day, and he had to refrain from shuddering at the memory. "Yes, that was…not good, to say the very least."

Trucy nodded. "We realized that maybe she wasn't the…best person…to have you with. So that's why we arranged another date for you!"

_Why did I not see this coming?! _"Trucy…as kind as it is that you're doing this…"

"Mr. Edgeworth!" Athena cut in. "This time, it's with a person you know!"

"It…is?" _Someone I know? I really hope they don't mean who I think they might mean. _

"Yeah! Your date is sitting right there!" Kay pointed to one of the booths.

Edgeworth followed Kay' s finger, and he let out a sigh of relief. _Thank goodness! It wasn't her. _His eyes went down to the flower bouquet he was still holding. "Ah. This is why you gave me these flowers, isn't it?"

Trucy's bobbing head affirmed this. Kay then prodded the prosecutor towards the booth. "Now go on and have fun on your date!"

Edgeworth straightened up and walked over to the booth. The woman looked up at him and smiled cheerfully. "Hey there stranger!"

"Er…hello, Miss Reece."

"Oh, let me take those flowers off your hands now." She took the flowers from him. "Alright then. Have a seat!"

Edgeworth sat across from her. A waitress came up to them. "What would you two like to drink?"

"I'll take the…hm…" Sabrina looked over the menu. "I think I'll have some Coca-Cola."

"I'd like just a glass of water, please."

"Coke and H2O, coming up. Your food should be out soon."

"But we didn't order any food," Edgeworth pointed out.

"Those young ladies over there ordered for you."

Edgeworth saw that she was referring to Trucy, Athena, and Kay, who were giggling with each other. "I…see…Very well then."

As the waitress left, he noticed that Sabrina was on her phone, texting someone. "Come on! Answer my text already!" She typed furiously, and then waited for a minute or two. "I know you're ignoring me."

"Er…who might you be texting, Miss Reece?"

She looked up at him momentarily before returning her attention to her phone. "Rena. She's ignoring me, I just know it. Come on! Answer my texts already!" Just then her phone rang. "Hello? Rena! Why won't you answer my texts?!"

Edgeworth could hear a voice on the other side, and it seemed to be reprimanding Sabrina, who frowned. "Right…I'm sorry. I won't text you unless it's an absolutely emergency...Bye." She hung up and sighed. "Ugh." She then sighed heavily before looking up at Edgeworth. "So! The girls told me that you've only ever been on one other date besides this one!"

Edgeworth pushed his glasses up. "Yes, that's true. Unfortunately, that date ended…well…disastrously, I would say." _Why can't anyone just drop it?! _

Sabrina snickered. "I think the best part of that story was hearing about Rena getting covered in spaghetti by that old lady who stalks you!" She burst into a fit of laughter. "I can see it now!"

Edgeworth nodded his head. "Right."

"But…we're not here for that. We're here because we're on a date!" She clasped her hands and placed her elbows on the table, resting her chin on her hands. "So…how do you like me so far?"

Edgeworth was taken aback by the question. "Er…I…well…I can't really give you an answer to that question…not yet anyways."

"Right answer! You barely even know me! I was just testing you."

_I'm here for a date, not to be tested…although, I'm not really here for a date either, not that I had the choice. _

"So tell me about yourself, Mr. Edgeworth. I feel like there's a lot more to you than what meets the eye."

"I'm a prosecutor here in Los Angeles."

"Chief Prosecutor," Sabrina corrected.

"Er…yes."

"Do you live by yourself?"

"Yes…well, I do have a dog."

"A dog, huh? Dogs are cool, although I much prefer cats, especially since they'll do everything all by themselves. They just need someone to feed them and love them."

"Well, dogs are pretty much the same, wouldn't you say?"

"Not really. Dogs don't clean up themselves. Cats do."

"That is true, but don't cats leave hairballs all over the place as a result?"

"Yeah, that's kind of gross, but I think they're quite…I don't know…sophisticated."

_Cats? Sophisticated? _"I suppose it would depend on the individual dog or cat, but I wouldn't go as far as saying all cats are sophisticated."

"Really? Well, maybe that's just my opinion. I am biased towards cats, in case you couldn't already tell."

_Of course I couldn't tell. You weren't making it obvious enough for me. Hmph. _"Do you happen to have a cat, Miss Reece?"

"No. I was thinking about getting one, but as long as I'm going to be hanging out near Rena's place, there's no way I can get one, unless of course I wanted to kill her or something."

"What do you mean kill her?!"

"She's extremely allergic to cats, or their dander. I remember this one time. I brought her with me to this one place where there were a whole bunch of cats. My god! She started having a cough attack and sneezing and wheezing after just five minutes of being there. I thought she was dying! Boy was it freaky! If she didn't stop me, I would've called 911!"

"Oh. That's quite an allergy."

Sabrina nodded, then she saw that the waitress was bringing their food. "Two Wonderful Wonderland Whoppers for the lovely couple," she said in a rather monotone voice. She set in front of them two whoppers and two baskets of French fries and their drinks before she left.

Edgeworth just stared at the food with wide eyes. _This is what they ordered for us? Not exactly very appetizing…_He looked up to see that Sabrina had already eaten half of her whopper. _She eats fast. _

"Mmm! This is so good!" She exclaimed, her mouth full. Edgeworth just took a sip of his water when she asked, "So what else is there to know about you, Mr. Edgeworth?"

"What else? What do you mean?"

"What are your hobbies? You know, stuff you do when you're not working?"

Edgeworth had to think hard about that question. "I play chess, and I like to read, primarily law books. I take my dog out for walks."

"That's it?" She asked incredulously. "There's nothing else?"

"No, there isn't, at least, I don't think so. I'm very consumed with my work and studying law."

"Wow. You're kind of boring, no offense," she admitted bluntly.

_Hmph. None taken. _

"But I have to say, you do have a decent sense of fashion, and boy do I know fashion!"

_I guess I should take that as a compliment, even if it wasn't one. _"You mentioned you were a fashion designer, if I recall correctly."

Sabrina smiled proudly. "I sure am! Well, I'm still kind of training. I switched between a whole bunch of career choices. Back when I was in school, I thought I wanted to be teacher, because I wanted my students to bring me apples for me to put on my desk, but once I got older, I realized that I could never be teacher."

"Why is that?"

"I don't have the patience to deal with little kids. They can be annoying."

"That would be a good reason for not going into the teaching profession."

"Yeah, so then I thought, 'Gee! I would make a great newswoman!' But then I learned about how they actually have to learn a lot of things, and I was like, 'No way, Jose!' That's not my kind of thing! Let's just say I went through a whole bunch of options for careers. The last one I had was a modelling career. I was actually seriously considering that, especially after hearing about how much drama occurs behind the scenes, and I love drama! But then I didn't want anyone to boss me around."

"Rena was actually the one who suggested that I go into fashion designing. She said I always had a nice sense of fashion, compared to her. But yeah." She had already finished her whopper and her French fries. She called the waitress over to refill her drink, which she had also managed to finish too. "So is that really all you do? Work, play chess, and walk you dog?"

"Yes, that is pretty much what I do most of the time. I do occasionally go to see Trucy's magic shows too."

She stared at him for a long time before she mused, "You kind of remind me of Rena. You're both stick in the muds."

_I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that and that I'm not insulted. But speaking of Ms. Sterling… _"Er…Miss Reece. How did you meet Ms. Sterling, if you wouldn't mind my asking?" _I find it quite hard to believe she could've become friends with this woman. They're complete opposites, it seems._

"Not at all! I met her when we were 12 years old." Sabrina's eyes landed on his plate. "You going to eat those French fries?"

"No, I…"

"Super!" She grabbed the tray and pulled it toward her. She began chewing on one of the fries. "I still remember it like yesterday. We were in the same class together in sixth grade. Actually, I think we had been in the same class in every grade since first grade, but we'd never really talked to each other. Then again, she never really talked at all. Anytime the teacher called on her, she'd get so nervous, and she had such a quiet voice. You could tell she was super shy."

"So one day, one of my 'friends' ditched me at recess. Well, she wasn't really my friend; she was just acting like my friend because she totally wanted to get styling tips from me. I could tell she was jealous of my awesome outfits and my style. There was this one day I was wearing this super cute outfit, and she came over to me and accidentally on purpose spilled her drink all over me, which ended up totally ruining my outfit! How uncool was that?!"

Sabrina stopped. "Oh, sorry! I went way off topic there! We were talking about…"

_She talks so much…just like…__her._ Edgeworth had to shake that thought out of his head before he answered her. "How you met Ms. Sterling?"

She snapped her fingers. "Oh right! Yeah! So I was kind of bummed out, and I usually played with…or rather, hung out with that friend and her posse. I didn't know who to talk to, so I decided to go sit by myself at the corner of the playground, where there was this large oak tree, and feel bad for myself. I walked around to the back of it, and that's where I saw Serena. She was sitting there, all by herself, reading a book."

Sabrina had a lopsided grin on her face. "I freaked her out, accidentally. I said hey! And the poor thing. She screamed and jumped to her feet. I asked her what she was doing all by herself, and she told me she was reading. Then I asked her why she wasn't sitting with anyone." She frowned a little. "She mumbled at first, but I was able to figure out that she had said that she didn't really have anyone to sit with. So I plopped myself down next to her and told her that I would sit with her."

Sabrina smiled once more. "I got her to talk to me a little bit, but I was the one doing the most talking. We've been friends since then."

"That's nice."

"Yeah. She's cool once you get to know her, but she's quiet. I've been trying but not succeeding at getting her to socialize more, but it seems like she's doing a better job now, seeing how she's made so many friends here." Sabrina sighed, then glanced at his untouched whopper. "You aren't going to eat that, are you?"

Edgeworth shook his head. "No…I'm not that hungry, actually." _Definitely not hungry enough to eat that. _

"So…you wouldn't mind if I was to eat it?"

"Er…no, I don't think so."

"Cool beans!" She grabbed the whopper and bit into it, smiling goofily.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the small diner…

"Oh my gosh! Mr. Edgeworth let her have his whopper!" Trucy squealed in delight.

"This date seems to be going much better than I thought it would!" Athena had her eyes on the couple.

"Maybe she's the one!" Kay suggested. She then waved the waitress over. "Hey! Could you get those two a chocolate milkshake?"

"Alright. Two chocolate cows, coming up."

Back at the table, Sabrina had left not a single piece of food leftover. _Well, at least I don't have to worry about letting the food go to waste. _

"One chocolate milkshake."

"We didn't order a chocolate milkshake," Edgeworth stated.

"I know. Those girls did."

"Who's it for?" Sabrina asked, staring longingly at the glass.

"For you."

"You didn't specify which of us it's for." Edgeworth was starting to get annoyed.

"It's for both of you."

"Both of us?" The prosecutor didn't realize what she meant until the waitress popped two straws in the glass.

"Yes, both of you, as in you're sharing it. She drinks from one straw, and you drink from the other, get it?" She shook her head, and as she left, Edgeworth could hear her mutter under her breath, "Idiot."

_How dare she?! _He cleared his throat. "Miss Reece. As nice as this whole thing was, I'm afraid I won't be able to share this drink with you."

She shrugged. "Hey, fine by me!" She grabbed the glass with both of her hands and popped the two straws in her mouth. "More for me!" She slurped it up.

Back at the other table…

"What is she doing?!" Kay cried. "She's supposed to be sharing the milkshake with Mr. Edgeworth, not downing it by herself!"

"We even told the waitress to make sure to tell them to share it!" Athena saw the waitress and motioned for her to come over. (**AN: Athena's music was playing when I wrote this part. Another music coincidence!**) "I thought we told you to make sure they shared that drink!"

The waitress frowned. "I did tell them that, but obviously they didn't want to!"

"Well maybe you should've tried harder!" Athena countered.

"That's it! I've had it up to here with all of the nonsense I have to deal with at this diner!" The waitress ripped off her apron and her badge and threw them on the floor. "I QUIT!" She then turned to the three girls. "Why don't you three try to get them to drink out of the same glass?! Or better yet, leave 'em alone! Sheesh!" With that, she stomped out of the door.

The three of them looked at each other, and then at Simon, Apollo, and Juniper, who were all trying to hold their chuckles.

Athena caught Simon's eye, and she glared at him. "Don't. Even. Say. Anything," she threatened.

Apollo couldn't help but speak up. (**AN: Apollo's music is playing right now…**) "Nice going, Athena. Way to make that lady quit her job. Not to mention, looks like Operation Diner is another failure."

Athena grabbed her glass of water and threw it at Apollo, who yelled aloud. "Hey!" His hands immediately went to his hair, which was now soaking wet. "My horns! You ruined my horns!" He glared at her. "Do you know how long it takes me in the morning to get these babies in perfect shape?!"

Simon scoffed. "You claim to spend so much time, and yet, we see no good results from that." He hit the table with his hand, laughing, until something cold and wet was poured on his head.

"Serves you right! Nice work, Apollo!"

Simon's eyes flashed before a smile appeared on his face. "Yes, well done, Justice-dono."

"Uh oh…" Apollo knew something was up. He watched as the prosecutor scooped up some of Athena's ice cream with a spoon and flung it at Apollo. Apollo ducked, but he gasped when he realized who the ice cream ended up landing on. "Juniper! I'm so sorry!"

Poor Juniper had ice cream on her forehead, which was now flowing down her face. Juniper wiped her eyes with a napkin before she smiled. "It's fine, Apollo." She took some of her own ice cream and smeared it across Apollo's face. "Now you don't have to feel sorry!"

"Ha ha ha! Polly! You look so funny!" Trucy laughed aloud, along with Kay.

"That's it." Apollo stood up and declared, "FOOD FIGHT!"

And so it began. The six of them started flinging food at each other. They even got out of the booth and started running all over the place.

Edgeworth had heard the commotion, and he spoke to Sabrina. "We better get out of here before they drag us into this mess."

Sabrina tilted her head to the side as she watched them. "Actually, I kind of want to get involved too." She stood up. "But you can go if you want. This was a nice date, although I can tell we're not exactly compatible for each other. Oh well! I still had fun, and it was nice to get to know you a little better. Well, kind of."

Edgeworth stood up as well. "It was nice to get to know a little more about you too, Miss Reece. Er…have…fun." Edgeworth left some money on the table, and he hastily exited the diner, only to run into Phoenix.

"Wright. Where were you? I thought you had business."

Phoenix nodded. "Yeah, I did. But's taken care of, for the time being anyway. Is everyone in there?"

"Yes, well everyone except Ms. Fey. She said she needed to get home."

"Oh, that's odd. So why are you leaving so early?"

"I'm leaving my date, Wright." Edgeworth glared at the defense attorney. "Once was enough, Wright, but two times? You seriously need to stop this dating nonsense."

Phoenix held his hands up in front of him. "Hey! I had no idea they had planned this thing! And anyway, I have much more pressing matters to deal with right now to be able to think of something like that."

Edgeworth dropped his glare, but his eyes remained narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"It's none of your business, Edgeworth." Before Edgeworth could ask any further, Phoenix continued. "How was your date, anyway?"

"Not as awful as the first one."

Phoenix grinned. "Is that so? So are sparks flying?"

Edgeworth crossed his arms. "Hmph. Hardly. Miss Reece may be a nice woman, but I don't find her to by my type. Actually, she reminds me of someone."

"Who might that be?"

"Larry."

"Larry?!" Phoenix was surprised, but then he tapped his chin. "Hm…maybe we could get them together. They could possibly make a good pair."

"You're not actually considering getting involved in Larry's love life, are you Wright?"

Phoenix chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, you got a point there. But speaking of Larry, we haven't seen him in a while, huh? Wonder what he's doing." The spiky-haired man looked through the window of the store. "What's going on in there?"

"Oh, they're having a food fight."

"A food fight?! How can you say that as if it's the most normal thing in the world?! Did you try to stop them?"

"Stop them? Wright. If I tried to stop them, I'd probably somehow get dragged into the mess myself, and I'd rather not get involved. Anyway, I need to get home."

"See you."

_Wright's acting a little odd. What could be this business of his? Well, I shouldn't worry about it. Surely, it's probably nothing illegal, but then again, it's Wright. He does get himself into many situations. _Deciding to let the matter drop, Edgeworth began to make his way home, although he did wonder how exactly the food fight would end.

**Like I said, this was a random chapter I just wrote. It's sort of comic relief, if that's the right term for it, because things are going to be getting more serious later on (although there may be funny tidbits here and there). Feel free to leave a review or private message me. Thanks!**


	10. Turnabout Arrested!

**Sort of a short chapter (especially compared to the last one).**

**********************_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Ace Attorney series characters!_**

Chapter 10 – Turnabout Arrested!

**Background: This is about four days after the food fight. **

"Ugh! I never want to see another mop in my life again!" Athena declared as she and Trucy walked into the Wright Anything Agency.

"Me either! I think I might just collapse!"

"You two back already?" They entered the office room, where Phoenix sat behind his desk. He shook his head, sighing. "I still can't believe you guys started a food fight. I hope you've learned your lesson, you two."

The two girls nodded their heads and said in unison, "We did."

He nodded. "So your punishment is finally over, huh?"

After the incident at the diner, the offenders had to clean up the diner that particular night, given the huge mess they made. To add to that, they had to go there for four days and help out with the cleaning, cooking, and serving customers. It was not fun, to say the very least.

"Yes, finally," Athena groaned.

"Daddy, I don't think we should go there. Ever again."

Phoenix chuckled a little. "I'll keep that in mind, Trucy. So what were your duties today?"

"Junie and I had cleaning duty."

"Mr. Blackquill and I had to serve customers!" Trucy said, her mood changing immediately. "The customers I had today were really nice! They gave me such great tips." With a frown, she added, "But that meanie owner didn't let me keep them."

"What did Apollo and Kay do?"

"The two of them had cooking duty. Let's just say…some of the customers weren't pleased with the food they got. But the owner came out and explained to them what the situation was." Athena crossed her arms.

Phoenix was surprised. "So he explained the whole food fight scenario and how you were all involved?"

Athena replied, "He sure did. He didn't leave a single detail out."

"So where did everyone else go?"

"Kay went back to the Prosecutor's Office, along with Simon. And Apollo said he was going to drop off Junie."

"Speaking of Polly, where is he? He was supposed to get here a while ago!"

Just then, the office phone rang. "That's odd. It's from the police department." Phoenix picked it up. "Wright Anything Agency. This is Phoenix Wright."

"Hey Mr. Wright."

"Apollo. What are you doing calling from the police department? Do you have another case?"

"No fair! I haven't had a case in a while now!" Athena complained.

"Er…well, about that Mr. Wright. I do have a case, but…it's not actually mine."

"What do you mean?" _What's Apollo talking about?_

There was a pause before Apollo answered. "I've been placed under arrest, Mr. Wright. On suspicion of killing a man."

"You got arrested?!" Phoenix yelled into the receiver. He heard Athena and Trucy gasp. "Who did you kill?"

"I didn't kill anyone, Mr. Wright!"

"Sorry! That came out wrong. Who got killed?"

"Some guy at the park. I…"

"Hold on. Are they keeping you at the detention center?"

"Yeah."

"Alright. We'll get there as soon as we can." Phoenix hung up and turned to the others. "Apollo's been arrested, and he's at the detention center. We need to go see him and find out what's going on!"

* * *

"Officer Meekins arrested me!"

"Officer Meekins?" Phoenix groaned. _Not that guy! _"So what exactly happened Apollo?"

"I dropped Juniper at her grandma's house. I had some time to spare, so I figured maybe I could go to the park and spend some time there. I was walking around, and that's when I found this man at the edge of the lake. He was all wet. I went over to him to see if he was alright, but..." Apollo looked down. "He was already dead. So I called 911 and reported that I found a man there."

"What happened after that?"

"Well, I waited there, and that's when Officer Meekins came. He gave me one look, and then he arrested me."

"That's it?"

Apollo nodded. "You'll…you'll defend me, won't you Mr. Wright? No matter what happens?"

Phoenix was taken aback by what Apollo said. "Of course, Apollo. Why wouldn't I defend you?"

The younger defense attorney just shrugged.

_What did he mean by 'no matter what happens?' _Sighing a little, Phoenix stood up. "Looks like we're going to have to go and have a little chat with Officer Meekins. Come on, Athena, Trucy."

Athena and Trucy both stared at Apollo, who seemed pretty down, even when they had come in to see him. They then followed Phoenix out of the room.

* * *

"Hello sir!"

_Ugh. I see he's yet to ditch that annoying megaphone. _"Hello Officer Meekins."

"Sir! What do you need sir!"

Athena covered her ears. "You know? You really need to tone it down a bit. Literally!"

The excitable officer frowned, lowering the megaphone. "Sorry. It's kind of a habit."

_Kind of?! _"Anyway, you do realize you arrested one of employees, right?"

"Your employee? Who's that?"

"Apollo Justice."

"Apollo…Justice." He tugged at his nonexistent beard.

"You know? He's a defense attorney? You arrested him at People Park," Athena offered.

The officer still was thinking. "He has two horns, and a big forehead!" Trucy added.

"Oh! That kid! Right, I did arrest him, didn't I?"

_Oh boy. This is not going to be easy. _"Why exactly did you arrest him?"

"Well, I heard about the 911 call made on my radio, and it just so happened that I was in the area, so I told everyone that I had this covered, and I went to the scene."

_They actually let this guy go to crime scenes?! What about Ema or Detective Gumshoe or anyone else?! _

"I found him near the body. There was no one else at the crime scene, so I arrested him."

"Wait. Let me get this straight. You arrested Polly just because he was the only one at the crime scene?!"

"Who's Polly? I didn't arrest Polly. I arrested a kid named Apollo."

Phoenix clarified. "Polly is her nickname for Apollo."

"Oh, okay."

Athena had her arms on her hips. "But you didn't answer Trucy's question! Don't you think you jumped the gun a little arresting him?"

"But he was the only at the scene!" The officer argued.

Athena was losing her patience. "What kind of criminal stays at the crime scene?! I mean, unless they wanted to get caught, they would surely flee or hide!"

"Er…well…"

"And Apollo was the one who called 911 in the first place!" She added. "Are you saying Apollo called the police to turn himself in?! That's crazy!"

The officer frowned, but then slammed his fist down into the palm of his hand. "Think about this! Maybe he called 911 because he didn't want people to suspect him as being the murderer! How about that theory?!"

Athena shook her head. "I don't buy it! Apollo is not a murderer," she stated resolutely.

"Then who is the murderer?!" The officer asked her.

"How am I supposed to know that?! Didn't you investigate the crime scene and try to find that out?!"

"No. I just arrested him and brought him to the station."

Phoenix noticed that Widget had turned red. _Uh oh. Athena's getting angry. We should probably leave before she resorts to violence. _"Um…thanks, Officer Meekins. I guess we'll see you tomorrow in the trial."

The officer lifted the megaphone and announced," See you sir!"

Phoenix sighed as he led Trucy and Athena away from the officer.

"Boss. I was this close to punching that guy! Who does he think he is, arresting our Apollo like that?!"

"Right. That's why I cut our conversation short." He noticed that it was getting dark. "Alright, we don't have much to go off of, but I think we should be okay for the first day of the trial."

"It's tomorrow, right Boss?"

"Yeah."

Trucy crossed her arms, looking up as she thought aloud, "I wonder who's going to be the prosecutor?"

Athena shrugged. "Who knows? I guess we'll find out tomorrow."

Phoenix nodded. "Yeah. It might be a little too late to call Edgeworth and ask him. Plus, he might get mad at me if I do that." Phoenix's thoughts drifted to the upcoming trial. _Hopefully, this won't be too hard. _

**Alright. The first day of the trial is coming up in the next chapter! What's going on? Apollo's been arrested?! Feel free to leave a review and/or private message me. Thanks!**


	11. Turnabout Secrets

**I meant to get this out earlier, but I was kind of working on some other stuff for this story (I'm getting a little ahead of myself, really). But here's the first day of the trial.**

**************************_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Ace Attorney series characters!_**

Chapter 11 – Turnabout Secrets

**The testimony is in italics, thoughts are in parentheses, and actions are in brackets.**

Judge: Court is now in session for the trial of Apollo Justice.

Phoenix: The defense is ready, Your Honor.

Athena: You bet we are.

Judge: And what about the prosecution?

Kay: The prosecution is also ready, Your Honor.

Athena: (I didn't know Kay was going to the prosecutor. This should be interesting.)

Judge: Ah, yes Ms. Faraday. This is your second trial, isn't it?

Kay: It sure is, Your Honor!

Judge: Very well. Your opening statement, if you will Prosecutor Faraday.

Kay: Yesterday, a 911 call was made from People Park. The defendant, Mr. Apollo Justice, was the one who called in to report that he had found a dead body near the lake at the park. An officer, Mr. Mike Meekins, was the first one at the scene, and he immediately arrested the defendant.

Judge: And who was the victim?

Kay: The victim was one Mr. Dwayne Huntley. He was a psychiatrist who worked downtown in his own office. He ran a private practice.

Judge: Hm…I see. Very well then. The prosecutor may call its first witness.

Kay: The prosecution calls Mr. Mike Meekins to the stand.

[Meekins is brought to the stand.]

Kay: Please state your name and occupation please.

Meekins: Yes, sir! My name is Mike Meekins! I'm a police officer, sir!

Phoenix: (Why hasn't anyone confiscated that stupid megaphone from him?!)

Judge: Officer Meekins. Please refrain from using your megaphone. Some of us are already hard on hearing.

Meekins: Sorry sir!

Kay: Officer Meekins. Could you please testify to the court as to what happened when you reached the lake?

Meekins: Sure thing sir!

Kay: Teehee! You don't have to call me sir, you know. Just Kay is fine, or Prosecutor Faraday, if you want get fancy.

Meekins: Alright Prosecutor Faraday.

_I heard about the 911 call made from People Park on my radio._

_It just so happened that I was in the area, so I told everyone that I had it covered._

_Arriving at the scene, I found Apollo Justice near the man's body. _

_There was no one else at the crime scene, so I arrested him._

Athena: Boss. That's almost exactly the same thing he told us yesterday.

Phoenix: You're right. I guess we're gonna have to press him like we did yesterday, too.

Athena: Great. Just great. This is going to be so much fun.

Judge: That's…all, Officer Meekins?

Meekins: Yes sir!

Judge: …Very well then. The defense may begin its cross-examination.

Phoenix: Officer Meekins. When we met with you yesterday, we had asked about why you arrested Apollo, when he was the only one at the scene of the crime. What was your response?

Meekins: I told you that he was the only one at the crime scene.

Phoenix: Then we asked you how you could possibly arrest Apollo when he was the one who made the 911 call.

Meekins: And I suggested that he did that in order to make it look like he wasn't the murderer.

Judge: Mr. Wright. What is the point of this questioning if you already know what the witness is going to say?

Phoenix: I was just making sure he remembered what he had said yesterday, and that he didn't change his story.

Judge: Then please move along with the cross-examination.

Athena: Boss. Press him on his second statement!

Phoenix: (His second statement…he said he was in the area.) Officer Meekins. You said that you were in the area when you heard the 911 call. Why exactly were you near the park?

Meekins: Sir! Someone came up to me and told me that he had spotted something very odd at the park, and he suggested that I go take a look over there.

Kay: Who was this person?

Meekins: …I don't know.

Athena: You don't know? What do you mean, you don't know?!

Meekins: Well, I was sitting in the police car with my window down, and he just kind of came up to the window and told me about it.

Judge: Didn't you see the man's face or any distinct characteristics?

Meekins:…No, I didn't.

Phoenix: Did you at least inquire about this man's identity?

Meekins: No sir! As soon as I heard what he said, I thanked him and drove off.

Phoenix: (Seriously. How does this guy still have a job as a police officer?!)

Athena: Your Honor! Clearly, this witness made a rash decision in arresting Ap…our defendant!

Judge: So it would seem.

Kay: You're right. Officer Meekins definitely did jump to conclusions way too fast; however, when the police took the defendant in for questioning, they found something…interesting. [Presents a piece of paper.] They found this note in the defendant's possession. According to it, the defendant was supposed to meet the victim at the park.

Phoenix: WHAT?!

Athena: HUH?! Boss! Why are we only learning about this now?!

Phoenix: … (Apollo never told us about that note.)

Kay: The note says, "Apollo, please meet me at the lake near People Park to learn more about it. –D.H." Now, this is obviously not clearly not conclusive evidence against the defendant, but it's evidence nonetheless. The prosecution would like to have the defendant testify to the court about this.

Judge: Hm…that sounds like a good idea. Does the defense have any objections?

Athena: No Your Honor!

Judge: Then Bailiff! Please escort Mr. Justice to the witness stand.

[Apollo is brought to the stand.]

Kay: Please state your name and occupation.

Apollo: Apollo Justice. Defense Attorney.

Kay: Please testify as to what you were doing at the park.

Apollo: … Okay.

_I dropped my girlfriend off at her house and walked to People Park. _

_I was just going around when I saw that man's body near the lake. _

_I went up to him to see if he was okay, but he was already dead. _

_I called 911, and not too long afterwards, Officer Meekins came and arrested me. _

Kay: Why did you go to People Park?

Apollo: I had some time to spare, so I figured I'd take a little walk there.

Judge: The defense may start its cross-examination.

Athena: He didn't mention anything about the note, Boss.

Phoenix: Yeah, he didn't. But before we ask him about that, let's press his statements and see what he says. (Apollo…I really hope you have a good explanation about that note.)

Athena: Apollo. Could you elaborate more about your first statement?

Apollo: Um…I dropped my girlfriend, Juniper Woods, off at her grandmother's house.

Judge: Juniper Woods? That nice young lady from the Themis Legal Academy who's studying to be a judge? I didn't know you were courting her, Mr. Justice! When did this happen?

Apollo: Er…a little while ago.

Judge: Ah, young love. It feels like only yesterday I was your age and asked the apple of my eye if I could court her.

Kay: Oh! Would this "apple of your eye" happen to be Mrs. Your Honor?

Judge: Why yes it is!

Athena: Wow! Was she the first one you asked out on a date?

Judge: Yes! I fell madly in love with her the moment I first laid eyes on her.

Athena: Aw!

Kay: That's so cute!

Phoenix: (It seems like Prosecutor Faraday and Athena forgot why we're really here, along with His Honor.) Um…Your Honor? As much as we'd love to hear more about that, we kind of sort of have to get back to the trial at hand.

Judge: Ahem. Mr. Wright is right. The defense may continue cross-examining Mr. Justice.

Athena: Heh, heh. Sorry, Mr. Wright!

Phoenix: It's fine. Now, Apollo. Why did you go to the lake?

Apollo: I like going there sometimes. It's nice and peaceful.

Phoenix: Is that the only reason why you went there?

Apollo: …Yeah.

Athena: [whispering] Boss! He's lying! He probably went there because of that note!

Phoenix: Yeah, but we'll ask him about that soon. Let's finish pressing him and see if he'll tell us. (Hm…) So about the victim. Tell us about when you first saw him.

Apollo: Like I said, I was walking to the lake, and then I noticed this man's body was at the edge of the lake. His legs were in the water, but his whole body was wet. I called him and tried to shake him to get him to wake up, but he was already dead.

Athena: What time did you arrive at the park, Apollo?

Apollo: Around five-thirty.

Athena: Well then. Let's check the autopsy…wait. Where is the autopsy report?

Phoenix: That's a good question.

Kay: I'm afraid the autopsy report is still being written up. There were some technical difficulties, apparently. But we do know that the victim was stabbed in the back, and he was in the water, but cause of death is still unknown.

Athena: Well that's just great.

Phoenix: Apollo. There's an obvious contradiction in your testimony. You said you just went to the park for no real reason, but you've also yet to mention anything about this note the prosecution has shown the court. Can you explain what that note is all about?

Apollo: …

Judge: Mr. Justice. Please do tell the court about it.

Apollo: I…got that note yesterday morning. It was in my mailbox.

Athena: Wait. So…you knew the victim?

Apollo: …Sort of. I hadn't really talked to him much. He had just only recently started contacting me.

[Bailiff comes in]

Judge: What is it, Bailiff?

Bailiff: The police found this nearby the supposed crime scene, and they had a report written up about it.

Judge: Hm…According to this police report, this is…the knife that was used to stab the victim!

Phoenix: What else does the police report say, Your Honor?

Judge: Hm…It says that the owner of this knife…is Mr. Justice!

Phoenix: No way!

Athena: How can they determine that?!

Judge: Fingerprint analysis confirmed this. Well Mr. Justice. What do you have to say about this?

Apollo: I didn't kill Mr. Huntley! I didn't!

Kay: But that knife…is it really yours?

Athena: No way! It can't be…right Apollo?

Apollo: …

Phoenix: (Uh oh…I don't like that pause there.)

Judge: Well Mr. Justice? Is this knife indeed yours?

Apollo: …Yes, it is.

Athena: Apollo!

Apollo: But I swear, I don't know how it got to the crime scene. I usually keep it in my bag, which I keep in the basket of my bike! My bike's at my apartment building!

Judge: It would seem that we don't have much information about this case, especially with the pending autopsy report; therefore, I believe court should adjourn for today so that more investigation can be done by the police, the prosecution, and the defense. Any objections?

Kay: Nope!

Athena: None whatsoever.

Phoenix: No, Your Honor.

Judge: Good. Court is adjourned.

* * *

"What's up with you, Apollo?! Why didn't you tell us about that note?!" Apollo didn't respond to Athena's question, aggravating her. "Come on, Apollo! What are you hiding from us?!"

"Apollo," Phoenix began. "What's going on? Why did Mr. Huntley contact you?"

"I…" He sighed. "I'm sorry, Mr. Wright, but…I can't tell you."

"Why not, Apollo?!" Athena demanded.

Apollo didn't say anything. The police then took him away to the detention center.

Phoenix shook his head, then turned to Athena. "Alright Athena. I need you to go and take a good look around the crime scene."

"What about you, Boss? Aren't you coming with me?"

Phoenix looked away. "I…have something I need to take care of. I'm sure you can handle it just fine."

Before Athena could argue, the defense attorney walked away. _What is going on?! First, Mr. Wright is keeping secrets, and now Apollo! _She couldn't help but feel miserable. Yes, she didn't like being left in the dark, but that wasn't what bothered her a lot. It seemed like rather than be a team, they were growing apart from each other.

Athena shook her head and stood up straight. "I can't worry about this now. I need to go to People Park and find anything I can to help prove Apollo's innocence." She exited the courthouse. "But first, I need to do a couple of laps around here, to get myself more hyped." And run around the courthouse she did.

**Not the best trial, I'll admit. But it took me forever to finish it up. Hopefully, it'll be getting better soon. Feel free to leave a review or private message me. Thanks!**


	12. Turnabout Witness

**THIS CHAPTER IS SO LATE! I literally had 2,208 words of this chapter already written like a week ago, but I came to a complete standstill with Oldbag's testimony, which is why this is so late. I got some **_**major **_**Writer's Block. I'm sorry! Had I not been so lost, this would've been posted a while ago. But because of that, I'll be posting the next chapter really soon (meaning probably tomorrow at the latest)! **

**Warning: This chapter is probably one of the worst chapters I've written, honestly. Please do forgive me. As I said, it was **_**really **_**hard writing this chapter, but I did my best! **

******************************_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Ace Attorney series characters!_**

Chapter 12 – Turnabout Witness

"Mr. Edgeworth! I need you to come investigate with me!" was the first thing Kay said when she barged into his office. She had rushed from the courthouse back to the Prosecutor's Building and to his office.

Edgeworth put down the papers he was reading. "Why Kay?"

"Well, I want to use Little Thief, but I'm kind of worried that I might get in trouble, but if I have the Chief Prosecutor with me, no one's going to mess with me!"

_In other words, she wants me to come with her and take responsibility for her use of Little Thief. *Sigh* I suppose it would do me well to get out of the office. _

He stood up and walked over to her. "Alright Kay. I'll come with you."

Kay was shocked. "R…really? I thought you were going to say something like, 'Hmph. I don't have time to go investigate a crime scene with you, and you shouldn't be calling that gadget Little Thief,'" she explained, deepening her voice to try and match it with the Chief Prosecutor's.

"Hmph. While I do agree with the latter statement you made, I do happen to have time to investigate a crime scene. It's not like I'm working twenty-four seven, you know."

"Could've fooled me," Kay muttered.

"Did you say something, Kay?"

She smiled a little innocently. "No! Now come on!" She ran out the door. Edgeworth just sighed, shaking his head and shrugging. _Some things just really don't ever change._

* * *

"To think someone would have the courage to kill someone in the park, and in the middle of the day, no less!" Kay mused as she and Edgeworth entered People Park.

"How did the trial go, Kay?"

"Not too bad, although that autopsy report kinda messed us up a bit."

"Hm…yes. That was quite annoying, but it should be sent to the police department soon enough." Annoying was an understatement for Edgeworth. It was rather unheard of that the autopsy report wasn't ready by the time the trial began, but he let it go, as it wasn't something that happened often.

"But I did hear that you got a slight bit distracted during the trial, Kay."

"What do you mean?"

"Apparently, you helped the Judge go off on a tangent about something."

"Oh! That's right! I remember. He was telling us about how it was love at first sight between him and his wife. It was so adorable!"

"Kay," Edgeworth interrupted her, sounding impatient. "The courtroom isn't place to be discussing such trivial matters."

"Come on, Mr. Edgeworth!" Kay began to whine when they both heard someone yelling.

"AH!"

_What, no. Who was that?!_

Someone had run past them, screaming. They then saw a dog was chasing after the person.

"Come on Mr. Edgeworth! Let's go investigate!" Kay followed them.

_We're here to investigate the crime scene. Ugh. She's already gone. _

He and Kay ran until they stopped nearby an old oak tree. The dog, specifically, a German Shepherd, was barking at something that was up in the tree. The two of them looked up, only to find a rather amusing sight. There was Serena, standing on one of the tree branches, gaping down at the dog.

The dog saw Edgeworth and Kay and growled at them. Luckily, its owner, a short, pudgy, rich-looking lady, came and quickly hooked the dog on a leash. She looked up at Serena, who was still in the tree and pointed a finger at her, shooting her a dirty look. "You! You distressed my poor little dog!"

Serena indeed did look ashamed, and was genuinely upset. "I…I'm sorry ma'am! Really! I…I didn't think sitting on that bench would distress your dog!"

"Well it did! You should be ashamed of yourself!" The woman pet her dog affectionately. "Come now my little precious. It's time to go to your doggy tea party!"

_That's what distressed that dog? She was sitting at a bench? How pathetic. And that dog isn't exactly little._

Kay stood underneath the tree and waved up at Serena. "Hi Serena!"

"H…hello Kay."

"How are you?"

"I'm good, thanks. And you?"

"I'm well." Kay looked around before she looked back up. "I think you can come down now."

Serena looked around the area. "I guess I can." She tried cautiously to make her way down the tree. Halfway down, she ended up falling the rest of the way down. She stood up and brushed the leaves off herself. "Phew. I guess my tree-climbing skills have declined over the years."

"Tree-climbing skills?" Kay asked.

The doctor shrugged. "It's a long story."

"Were you the one who ran past us screaming, Ms. Sterling?"

She laughed a little uneasily, her face turning a little red. "Yeah. I…I thought that dog was going to bite me again."

"You're not really good with dogs, are you?" Kay asked, smiling.

She shook her head. "No, I'm not. They never really did seem to like me," she said, looking down at the ground.

"Are you alright?" Edgeworth asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little shaken up is all."

"What were you doing here at the park?"

"I was sitting at a bench when that dog came up to me. I didn't run, but it…sort of bit my coat," she explained, examining her white coat, which was a little ripped. "So I ran."

"What a mean dog!" Kay said. "But at least it didn't bite you."

Serena nodded. "So. What are you two doing here in the park?"

"Investigating another crime," Kay answered. "A murder."

"Oh my! That's awful!"

Kay nodded her head. "Sure is. Happened right here in this park."

"I better tell Sabrina not to come over here then; otherwise, she'll freak out on me. Speaking of Sabrina…" Serena turned to the prosecutor. "I have to apologize for Sabrina and her behavior on your date, Mr. Edgeworth. She means well, she really does. She just…" She stopped for a moment, trying to find the right words to describe her friend. "Doesn't really notice when she oversteps her boundaries, if that makes any sense."

"It's quite alright, Ms. Sterling. You two seem to be very close. Almost like siblings, I'm sure most people would say."

She had a lopsided grin. "Yeah, I guess you could say that we're like sisters. She's the only person I can actually call my best friend. She's always had my back since we were young and… I'd do anything for her too."

"That's nice! I wish I had a sister, but I'm an only child." The young prosecutor shrugged.

"Anyway, I should get going. I need to get to the ER soon."

"Ms. Sterling. When are you going to be there?"

"Hm? Oh, I'm probably going to go there in about…" She checked her watch. "Two hours?"

"Then would it be alright if I came over there? I'll need to speak with you about the autopsy report for this case."

"Sure. That's fine. I'll see you then." She started walking down the path away from them.

"Hey Serena!"

She faced Kay. "Yes?"

"What's your personality type?"

"My…personality type? You mean, like the Myers-Briggs thing?" Kay nodded. "Well….this might be kind of weird for me to know it off the top of my head, but I'm an ISFJ."

"Oh," Kay frowned.

"Is…that a problem?"

"Oh no! I was just…curious." Kay smiled brightly, masking her disappointment. _Well there goes that idea. If only some of those letters were different…_ "We've got to go. Take care!"

* * *

"Hey Kay! Mr. Edgeworth."

"Athena!" They had finally reached the scene where Apollo had discovered the body.

"Ms. Cykes. Are you here to investigate as well?"

"Yeah. Mr. Wright sent me here. Is that why you guys are here too?"

"Yup! Hey! How about the three of us work together?!"

Athena hesitated a little. "Er…well. I don't mind, but…"

Edgeworth figured the defense attorney was reluctant to agree because of him. "Ms. Cykes, you don't need to worry about me. It doesn't matter if the prosecution and defense work together in investigating the crime scene. The important thing is that the truth is revealed."

Athena grinned. "Good! I'm glad to hear that! So! Where should we start?"

Kay frowned a little. "We don't know much about the case, especially since there were no witnesses."

"EDGEY-POO!"

_Oh no. Not her…anyone but her!_

"Ms. Oldbag!" Kay grinned cheekily, not failing to notice how Edgeworth looked rather horrified. She waved at the woman who ran over to stand in front of Edgeworth.

"Oh Edgey-poo! It's been so long since I've seen you!"

_Not long enough. _

"You're…" Athena thought for a second before snapping her fingers. "You're Wendy Oldbag! Mr. Edgeworth's sta-admirer."

"Edgey-poo!" The woman screeched after scowling at Athena. "Every time I see you, you're constantly surrounded by all these young whippersnappers! How could you cheat on me like this?!"

_Please stop talking. You're going to give me a headache. And we were never together for me to cheat on you. _

"What are you doing here, Ms. Oldbag?" Kay was able to ask before the woman continued her complaining.

"I'm here at the park every day."

_Every…day? _

"Every…day?" Kay asked.

"Every day."

"Were you here yesterday?" Athena questioned.

_Oh no. I just know where this is going. Please, don't let it go there._

"Don't talk to me, you little whippersnapper!"

Athena was offended to say the least. She hated being called little anything, but she knew better than to argue with an elderly lady, especially this woman.

"Mr. Edgeworth, how about you talk to her?" Kay suggested.

"Do I have to?"

"Well, I highly doubt she'll speak to me, and given the way she feels about you…" Kay gave Mr. Edgeworth a look.

_Why do I get this feeling that Kay just wants to see me suffer? _

"Ahem. Ms. Oldbag."

The old woman smiled at Edgeworth, batting her eyebrows. "Yes Edgey-poo?!"

Edgeworth cleared his throat again. This was not what he wanted to be doing right now. "Er…you wouldn't have happened to have been in this area yesterday afternoon, would you?"

"You bet I was, Edgey-poo. Were you here? Because I don't remember seeing you here. I've been trying to find you ever since I saw you at that restaurant that day. I thought that maybe you came here with a big mutt, like you often do." She kept on rambling, but Edgeworth had stopped listening to her.

_Did she just call Pess a mutt?! How dare she! Pess is much better-behaved than this woman will ever be!_

Athena walked over to stand next to Kay and whispered to her. "This woman really does stalk Mr. Edgeworth, doesn't she?"

Kay bobbed her head. "She sure does. I'm surprised she hasn't come to the Prosecutor's building asking for him yet." She then walked forward. "I hate to interrupt you, Ms. Oldbag, but we need to know if you were here at the lake at around, say 5:30?"

"Hmph. Maybe I was, and maybe I wasn't. What's it to you?!" The woman snapped.

Kay once more looked at Edgeworth. "Ms. Oldbag. Were you or were you not here at that time?"

She sweetened up instantly. "Why of course I was here! I was here from four to six yesterday, like I am every day!"

_Figures she would be a potential witness. This is going to be difficult, not to mention she won't even properly answer Kay or Ms. Cykes. _

"Alright then, Ms. Oldbag. Please do tell us what you saw here, near this lake, yesterday afternoon at around that time."

"Of course! Anything for my dear Edgey-poo!"

"Then please, don't waste any time."

"Don't rush me! I'll get to it!" Edgeworth didn't hold back at glaring at her. "Oh my! You look so handsome with those glasses! Not that you weren't handsome before. Young men need to dress more like you! Nowadays, they all walk outside in their pajamas…" She went on ranting.

Edgeworth could hear Kay and Athena giggling a little when she complimented. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Ms. Oldbag? Your testimony, if you will?"

"Right!"

"I was just minding my own business here at the park yesterday afternoon. I walked past this lake, and that's when I saw two men. One shoved the other into the water, but he got back out. Then I just kept on walking by, minding my own business."

"Alright Mr. Edgeworth. How about we let you take care of this woman?"

"...Of course." Although Edgeworth really didn't want to have to talk to the old bag, he didn't mind having to cross-examine her testimony.

"Ms. Oldbag. What did these two men look like?"

"Oh, I don't know."

"You don't know?" Athena repeated.

"Why would I care for two men like them when I've got my lovely Edgey-poo here?!"

Edgeworth held in a groan. "So you have no recollection of what either of them looked like? Maybe their heights or what color clothes they were wearing?"

"Hm...one was shorter than the other, and one of them was wearing red. The other man was a little bit older, with a moustache, I think."

Athena spoke up. "Was it the shorter person who was wearing red?"

Oldbag ignored the question, prompting Edgeworth to repeat it himself.

"Why, yes. Yes he was."

The defense attorney didn't like that part. Apollo was short, and he wore red. "Did he have brown hair?"

"Ms. Oldbag. These two are here to help me with an investigation, and I would greatly appreciate if you'd cooperate with them and answer their questions."

The woman waved a hand through the air. "Of course! Why didn't you just say so, Edgey-poo?" Turning to Athena, the woman replied, "Yes, he had brown hair."

Athena was disheartened. This was not sounding good at all.

Edgeworth continued his questioning. "Can you tell us a little more about what happened between the two men? Were they arguing with each other?"

"Hm…those whippersnappers were kind of loud."

"Were they yelling at each other?" Edgeworth pressed a little more.

"They probably were; either that or they were just being loud. You know youngsters these days! They just don't know when to keep their mouths shut. They just keep going on and on about themselves in their loud, obnoxious voices…"

Kay leaned over to Athena. "Yeah, well maybe they grew up around people like her."

Athena nodded her head. "You're right. She needs to take a good look in the mirror before she starts criticizing us youngsters." The woman was still rambling on and on.

"Ms. Oldbag. Returning to your testimony, who shoved who?"

"The short red boy shoved the other man."

"Shoved him into the water?"

Oldbag nodded. "That's right. Right into the water."

"And he got back up and out of the water?" Edgeworth saw the woman nod again. _Hm…then it's probably unlikely that he drowned. _

Kay piped in. "Before we move along, how about I plug all of this information into Little Thief?"

Edgeworth nodded. Quite frankly, he just wanted an excuse to not have to speak with the elderly woman for more than a few minutes.

"Who's Little Thief?" Athena asked curiously.

"Teehee. You'll see!" Kay replied, before clearing her throat. "Dark skies of evening, when no other bird dares take wing, one alone remains all-seeing! Now, witness the true power of a real, modern-day Robin Hood!" She pulled out little device and began punching information into it.

The device's green projection surrounded them. "Whoa! This is so cool, Kay!" Athena exclaimed. "This is a recreation of the crime scene, isn't it?"

Kay smiled triumphantly. "Thank you! And yes it is!"

Edgeworth immediately examined the recreation. "Kay, I don't think we have enough information yet."

"Mr. Edgeworth!" A new voice called out from a distance.

"Ema!" Athena exclaimed as she saw the brown-haired detective run over to them.

Ema came to a stop near Edgeworth, huffing and puffing. "As soon as I heard that you were investigating the crime scene, I made sure to get here as soon as I could!"

"Hmph. Yet another whippersnapper here to snatch up my Edgey-poo," Oldbag grumbled.

_Oh no. She's probably going to become even more difficult to deal with now. *Sigh* _Shaking his head a little, Edgeworth nodded at the detective. "Detective Skye. It's nice to see you. Do you think you could help us out here a little?"

"Of course, Mr. Edgeworth! It just so happens that I got assigned to this case today!" The detective pulled out of her bag all sorts of supplies. "Ema Skye, here at your service!"

"Hm…they said the victim was stabbed…" Kay began. "But if that's the case, there should be blood somewhere here, right?"

"Don't worry! We'll be able to find out with my luminol spray!" Putting on her pink glasses, Ema began spraying the whole area. She gasped near the edge of the lake, where Little Thief was projecting the two people at the crime scene were standing. "Here! There's a couple of blood spatters right here."

Edgeworth frowned. "Hm…according to the witness's testimony…"

"Ms. Oldbag's testimony, Mr. Edgeworth," Kay corrected him.

"Right…I already see a contradiction in her testimony." He turned to Kay. "But you are the prosecutor handling this case, Kay, so why don't you find it?"

Kay frowned. "Do I…have to?"

"Yes."

Sighing, Kay nodded her head. "Alright then." Kay thought for a moment. "Wait. Ms. Oldbag didn't mention anything about anyone getting stabbed!" She turned around and spotted the elderly woman. "Ms. Oldbag!"

"What?!" The woman snapped.

"Geez. I just have a question for you. You mentioned in your testimony that the short guy wearing red shoved the other person, who I think we can all agree was the victim. But we found bloodstains near the area where you claimed to see this." S

Oldbag looked nervous. "Er…well…"

"Ms. Oldbag. Is there something you haven't told us?" Edgeworth asked sternly.

The woman frowned. "Edgey-poo! Don't use that tone of voice with me! I'm an elderly woman with a frail heart."

_The first part of your statement may be true, but I'm not so sure about that last part. _"Ahem. I apologize, but still. Please explain this discrepancy to us immediately."

"Okay. So…I may have seen something shiny in the hand of that one boy who shoved the other."

"In other words, he stabbed the victim!" Athena exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell us that before?!"

"I didn't want to have to come into court and testify! Plus, I didn't think they were serious. I figured it was just a fake sword and that they were just roughhousing. You know the youngsters these days…"

Athena and Kay groaned as the woman went on. Again.

"So the victim was stabbed. Ms. Oldbag," he interrupted her rant. "Did you see what the weapon was that the man used? Or where the victim was stabbed?"

"He was stabbed somewhere in his lower back, but I don't know what kind of weapon was used."

_That's helpful. _"Kay. How about you input this new information into it?"

"Into Little Thief? I'm on it!" She pressed a few buttons, and soon, Little Thief's projection changed.

"So…once the victim was stabbed, he fell…face down into the water," Athena explained. "Then he got up. But that means he wasn't murdered then."

"Was that all you saw, Ms. Oldbag?" Kay asked urgently. "You didn't see anything else?"

"Well, now that you mention it, as I was turning to leave, I did hear another splash."

"Another splash? So you heard one when the person was first pushed into the water?" Edgeworth inquired.

"Yes, I did. Then I heard another one."

Kay added this information to Little Thief. "So basically, this is what happened. The culprit stabbed the victim, who fell into the water, but he climbed back out, only to get pushed in again." She looked at Edgeworth. "So then that's when he died maybe? But how did he die?"

"Either he was stabbed again, or he drowned," Athena answered. "What does the autopsy report say?"

Ema, who was quiet, suddenly spoke up. "That's right!" She reached into her bag and pulled out a file. "Detective Gumshoe wanted me to bring this to you, Kay." She passed the file to Kay.

"Thanks," Kay replied, opening the file and reading over it. "According to this, the victim died because of excessive blood loss due to the stab wound."

Edgeworth went over to Kay. "May I see that?" He looked over it himself. "Yes, so it does say that." He then frowned a little. "There's nothing about this man's medical history in here." He glanced at Ema expectantly.

"Apparently, since the autopsy report was so late, they decided not to include that information. Plus, since it states the cause of death, they figured there was no need to get that information."

"Hm…I see. Kay. May I carry this with me for the time being? I'll make sure to bring back to you as soon as possible. I need to get going now."

"Sure Mr. Edgeworth."

He nodded at the three young girls and Oldbag, who just stared at him dreamily. Edgeworth didn't waste any time leaving the scene. He didn't want to be there any longer than was necessary.

"It was nice seeing you, Mr. Edgeworth!" Ema called out. She turned to the two lawyers. "And it was nice to see you guys! I really like working with you, Kay! You're such a nice prosecutor, unlike the glimmerous fop." She checked her watch. "I need to get going, but let me know if you need anything else!" She ran off, waving at them.

Athena and Kay then noticed how Oldbag was still there, muttering something about how Edgeworth was always surrounded by girls.

"Hm. You know, Kay. I have an idea as to how we can get Ms. Crankypants here to get off poor Mr. Edgeworth's case."

"You do Athena? What is it?" Athena whispered her plan to Kay. "Gee! Why didn't I think of that?! Perfect idea!"

"Hey, Ms. Oldbag." Athena began with a big smile on her face.

"What do you want, whippersnapper?!" She was even grumpier now that Edgeworth was gone.

"You like Mr. Edgeworth, don't you?"

A blush could be seen on the woman's wrinkly, aged face. "Like him? He's the one for me! I know it! He may not realize this, but we were destined to be together! That's why I'm still alive and well, after all this time!"

Athena and Kay exchanged glances. "Well, we hate to break it to you, Ms. Oldbag, but there's something you need to know about Mr. Edgeworth," Kay said, sounding worried.

"And what might that be?" The woman was clearly skeptical. Kay and Athena whispered into her ear. "No! It can't be true!"

Athena nodded. "But we're afraid it is."

"No…no…no! I won't…No! That's not right! Not my Edgey-poo!" With that, the woman huffed away from them.

The two girls high-fived each other. "Mr. Edgeworth should thank us!"

**As I said in the beginning, this is probably the worst chapter I've written, and I apologize for having made you read through this, but I hope to make things better in the later chapters. Anyway, please feel free to leave a review or private message me! Thanks!**


	13. Turnabout Interruptions

**Here's the next chapter. It's later than I hoped for, but I'm just happy I actually did get it out now. Hope you like it! Featured characters: Edgeworth, OCs, Phoenix and Apollo. **

**************_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Ace Attorney series characters!_**

Chapter 13 – Turnabout Interruptions

_Thank goodness. That investigation didn't actually take as long as I feared it would. _The prosecutor was quite relieved that he wouldn't have to see his stalker anymore. He entered the lobby of the emergency room where he saw a familiar face.

"Ms. Sterling?"

She turned around. "Oh! Mr. Edgeworth! What perfect timing! Come on. Let's not waste any time." She motioned for him to follow her through the doors, and follow her he did, until she stopped abruptly.

"Se-re-na! I've been waiting for you!" A loud, sing song voice called out. Serena stiffened a little, and Edgeworth saw a man with brown hair dressed in a white coat approach her. "Where have you been? I missed you!"

She gasped. "I'm not late, am I?" Checking her watch and letting out a relieved sigh, she spoke to the man. "Plus, I'm not working today. I'm just going to be in my office."

"Right, of course. But I still missed you."

_And who might this fellow be? And what is he doing with that huge pot of flowers?_

Edgeworth watched the interesting interaction between Serena and Dr. Emilio. "Here Serena, darling. I got you some wonderful poinsettias." He shoved the pot into her hands, and she stepped back a little, struggling to make sure she didn't drop it.

"Oh, um…thank you." She carefully set them on the counter. "They're…nice."

Her cheeks turned bright red when he flashed her pearly white smile and winked at her. "I knew you'd like them. They bring out your good looks." He looked at said plant then back at her. "Although, now that I look at them, they definitely pale in comparison to your fine beauty."

_Ms. Sterling seems quite flustered. Perhaps he's a romantic interest?_

She blinked a couple of times before nodding her head slowly, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Right…I…uh…have to go now." Her voice was a little higher pitched. She cleared her throat. "Come on, Mr. Edgeworth."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Who's this guy?" Dr. Emilio pointed at Edgeworth, a disgusted look on his face.

"This is Miles Edgeworth. He's Chief Prosecutor here in Los Angeles. Mr. Edgeworth, this is Dr. Emilio, my coworker."

"Nice to meet you, Dr. Emilio." He gave him a brief nod and saw that the doctor just lifted his nose and smirked.

"Yeah, sure."

_Hmph. How rude._

Serena sighed a little. "We really should get going, Mr. Edgeworth." Serena began walking quickly down the hall.

_Is it just me, or is she walking even faster than she normally does? _

"Oh, Serena?" The doctor called out.

She stopped and turned around, a nervous smile on her face. "Yes?"

"Don't take too long now!"

She nodded her head, and began walking once more. Edgeworth could've sworn she was walking even faster now. They quickly reached her office, where they both took a seat.

"I apologize for his rudeness…he…can be like that. I don't think he means to be that way, though. He's new here."

"No worries, Ms. Sterling. Now, here's the autopsy report."

She took the file from him and began reading through it. She had only finished the first page when a knock was heard on her door. "Yes? Come in."

"Serena. I need you to check this EKG for me."

Serena's brows furrowed, but she motioned for the doctor to come over. Taking one brief look at the paper, she looked up at him. "It's completely fine, Dr. Emilio. There's nothing wrong with this."

He smiled, chortling a little. "Of course! I just wanted to consult with you."

She nodded a little as she handed it back. "Right. Well, you don't always need to consult me, you know. You seem to know your stuff pretty well. Just trust yourself."

"Thanks. Sorry."

"No problem." He shut the door behind her, and her eyes went to scan the first page again. "Sorry about that. Now, this man was found dead at the park, right?"

"That's correct."

"And he was stabbe-" Another knock was heard at the door. She looked up. "Yes?"

"Is ultrasound still here, Serena?"

"No. They left an hour ago."

"Oh. So if I need one of the patients to get one done…"

"If it's urgent, call the main ER and send the patient there. If it isn't urgent, then just have them schedule an appointment here."

"Right. I knew that. Thanks." He shut the door, and she went back to the task at hand.

"The victim was stabbed." She turned the page and read on, muttering to herself. "Kidney…stab wound…lungs…" She was about to say something when once again someone knocked on the door. She sighed a little. "The door's open. Yes, Dr. Emilio? What can I do for you? Is there a problem?" She asked patiently.

"Er…not really. See, I remember you said you weren't busy this weekend." She nodded, her eyes narrowing a little in confusion. "How about we go up to the rooftop at the Big Tower? You know, where the observation deck is?"

Serena frowned. "Isn't that for couples to go to?"

"Er…we could go…as friends?"

"As…kind as that offer is, I have to refuse. I don't really like that place, to be honest."

"Why not?! That building is completely awesome! The beautiful lights, the Pegasus, the cotton candy!"

"Do you know what was there before they built that building?"

"Oh, some orphanage, right? They broke the old place down to construct that building."

Her frown only deepened. "Some orphanage, huh? That building is where the Happy Family Home once was."

"So? Wasn't it just some shabby old place?"

She looked down at one of her papers as she casually replied, "I once called that 'shabby old place' my home."

"Oh…oh my god. I'm sorry! I didn't mean to…"

"Don't feel bad. You didn't know. But if you don't mind, Dr. Emilio, I'm kind of in the middle of a meeting right now. So unless it's an absolute emergency, as in someone's life or wellbeing depends on it, I'd appreciate it if you could maybe wait until this is over?" She asked kindly.

"Of course. Whatever pleases you, Serena."

"Thanks." She sighed when he shut the door behind him. "I am so sorry. This usually doesn't happen."

"It's fine." _It's not exactly fine, but it isn't her fault. _

Serena placed the papers down on her desk, crossing her arms as she frowned.

"Is…something wrong, Ms. Sterling?" He asked, noticing that she seemed almost frustrated.

"I don't…think so…" She flipped through it once more. "They don't have this man's medical history in here?"

"According to Detective Skye, since the report was so late, and the cause of death has already been determined, they didn't find it necessary to include it."

"Hm…right. Well, I'm sure that's a good point…but just to make sure, let me see if I can't find this person's records."

She pulled out a laptop from a bag near her desk, turning it on. After about five minutes of waiting for it, she spoke to him. "Oh…uh, would you like something to drink?"

"Er…no. I'm fine, thank you."

She spent another ten minutes on the computer. He couldn't see what exactly she was doing, but he could hear her typing, so he could only guess she was looking up the man's history.

"Tha-" Just then, her phone rang, interrupting her. "Yes?...Really? What do you mean he can't do it?...You're pulling my leg, aren't you? He ran out of the room, screaming?" Serena groaned, holding her head in her hand. "I'll be right up there. Get the cart ready, and make sure you tell him not to go into that room again, alright?" She shook her head as she hung up the phone.

Shutting the computer, she returned her attention to him. "Mr. Edgeworth. I'm afraid I'm going to have to cut this meeting a little short. But," she paused, staring down at the file. "I hope you don't mind if I was to…have a copy of this report."

Edgeworth regarded her suspiciously. Had she not been in a rush, he would've asked her why. "Sure." _I don't see any reason to distrust her. _

"Alright then. Sorry about these constant interruptions," she said as she stood up. "Things have been a little…strange since I got back here. Anyway, see you, and thanks for coming in today." She grabbed her stethoscope and left the room.

* * *

An hour later…

"Dr. Emilio. Next time, if you're uncomfortable, please. Don't pick up the patient's chart and sign up to take care of them. You're more than welcome to ask one of us to take care of it," Serena explained as she was finishing up the chart.

"I know. I'm sorry, Serena. I've disappointed you."

"I'm not disappointed. Just…be mindful of what you do." After he had run out of the patient's room, screaming at the site of patient's injury, Serena had to take care of the situation itself, attending to the patient's injury as well as apologizing to the family.

She placed the completed chart in the rack, and stood there near the counter, thinking aloud. "I need to look into that matter for Mr. Edgeworth."

"I don't trust that man, Serena."

She glanced over at Dr. Emilio, who was standing next to her. "And why might that be?"

He crossed his arms. "I don't know. Something about him seems…off. The way he's constantly frowning. Those lines on his forehead. He looks like an old man."

"Now, Dr. Emilio. That's not a nice thing to say!" She scolded lightly. "He does not look like an old man! He looks his age, if not younger I might add."

"Hm…alright then. What about his attire? Who wears magenta-colored clothes?"

"I think his clothes are more on the line of wine red, wouldn't you agree?"

"…Maybe, but for heaven's sake, the man wears a jabot!" He exclaimed.

Serena quirked an eyebrow. "Dr. Emilio. I think you're mistaken. Mr. Edgeworth wears a cravat, not a jabot."

"No. He definitely wears a jabot."

"I'm afraid I must disagree with you there. He does not wear a jabot. It's obviously a cravat."

"Why do you say that?" He asked curiously.

"Allow me to make the distinction between the two. A jabot is an article of clothing women wear now, although men used to wear them a long time ago. A cravat, on the other hand, is what men wear. Now, unless Mr. Edgeworth was a woman, the article of clothing he wears is a cravat."

"But men used to wear jabots, didn't they? So who's to say that it isn't a jabot?"

"Because this is the 21st century. I highly doubt anyone…" Serena stopped for a moment, realizing something. "Wait. Why are we even having this conversation?!" Serena sighed, upset at having gotten distracted by such a useless topic. "I need to get back to my office."

* * *

"He should be in shortly," the guard said to the spiky-haired lawyer who was sitting in the visitor's room of the detention center. He had ten minutes before visiting hours were over. He watched Apollo take his seat on the other side of the glass.

"Hello, Mr. Wright."

"Apollo."

They sat in silence for a while, neither saying a word. Clearing his throat, Phoenix began. "Apollo. I need you to tell me what exactly the reason was for you to meet with the victim. Did you know him from before?"

Apollo's eyes shifted away from Phoenix. "…"

"Apollo," Phoenix said a little more forcefully. "Tell me."

He was surprised to see three red locks with chains going through them. _Apollo…you're…hiding something from us? From me? _

"Mr. Wright. I…I'm not going to tell you."

"Why not?!" Phoenix sounded irritated.

He was downright shocked when Apollo glared at him. "Because I'm not the only one who's been keeping secrets."

It was Phoenix's turn to look away. "But at least I'm not in jail."

Apollo snorted. "That's no excuse for hiding things from us."

"Are you or are you not going to tell me what happened?"

"I'll tell you…if and only if you tell me what it is you're hiding."

Phoenix shook his head. "I can't tell you, Apollo." He looked up at the younger defense attorney. "But you'd understand, if you knew."

Apollo stared at him, before responding. "Then all I have to say to you, Mr. Wright, is that I can't tell you either. Because if you knew, you'd understand too."

Phoenix wanted to yell in frustration. He couldn't figure out why Apollo was acting so hostile towards him. He was going to ask him just that when he was interrupted by the guard.

"Mr. Wright. Visiting hours are over."

Phoenix nodded at the guard. He stood up, but said to Apollo, "I'll see you tomorrow, Apollo…And…take care," he added softly.

As he was walking through the doors, Phoenix could've swore he heard Apollo say, "You too."

* * *

That night…

Edgeworth was in his home, when he heard someone at the door. _It's rather late. Who could this be? _Opening the door, he was surprised. "Ms. Sterling? What are you doing here?"

"I came here to talk to you about the report."

"Are you talking about the autopsy report?" She nodded. "Right." He opened the door a little wider. "Why don't you come in?"

She hesitated a little. "Er…thank you." She froze in the middle of the doorway though.

_What's wrong? And why is she staring at Pess like that?! _"Excuse me, Ms. Sterling. I hate to sound rude, but why are you staring at my dog like that?" Her eyes were glued on Pess, and she looked rather petrified.

"Oh! I'm…sorry. I just…well…" She grimaced. "Like I said, I…I don't get along too well with dogs, is all."

"You…don't?" She shook her head. "Care to explain?"

"Er…well…let's just say, the Bandits loved their dogs. They had three of them."

"What kind of dogs?"

She gulped. "German shepherds," she replied as indifferently as she could, although the fear was all-too evident in her voice.

"Oh." _Well, they can be intimidating to some people, I guess._ "Did you not get along with them?"

"I guess you could say that. They…they never really liked me all that much. I don't really know why, but they didn't." She shuddered.

_There must be some bad experience she had with them. _"Well Ms. Sterling. I can assure you that Pess is nothing if not gentle. She wouldn't hurt anything or anyone, unless of course she is provoked."

"That's…good to hear." She still did look very uneasy though.

Pess was very curious as to who this person was that was talking to her master. She took a few steps towards Serena, who took a few steps back.

"Don't worry." He then spoke to Pess. "Go upstairs, Pess."

Serena was shocked at how obedient the Golden Retriever was. She frowned a little. "Sorry for the inconvenience." She stepped inside.

"It's nothing. Please, have a seat." He led her to the living room and motioned for her to sit down on the red sofa, and he sat across from her. "Would you like something to drink?"

"No thanks." She cleared her throat, getting right to business. "So after you left, I spoke with a colleague of mine. She's a medical examiner, and I consulted her about this autopsy report." She placed the copy of the file on the coffee table. "We both ended up reaching the same conclusion." She looked straight at him. "This autopsy report is incorrect."

"What?! How can that be?!"

"It doesn't make any sense. The victim was said to have drowned, and he was stabbed, and yet, when I was looking through the report itself, I realized something was…odd…about it. Something just didn't add up. I actually had this patient a while back, and I vaguely remembered that he had a particular…condition. I went to look up his files on the hospital's database and in the medical records room to confirm my suspicions," she paused for a moment, her brows furrowing as she stared down at the file. "But they were missing."

"Missing?"

She nodded, frowning. "I'm having someone look into that matter, but luckily, I was able to pull up the records from my personal archives, and it turns out there is something very strange about this report. It says there was a stab wound where his left kidney is. A stab wound that punctured this organ."

"That's correct. What's so wrong about that?"

"Oh, nothing really, if you don't consider the fact that this man didn't have a left kidney that could be stabbed in the first place."

"Wh…what do you mean?!"

"According to my records, he had surgery a long time ago and had his kidney removed. His left kidney. But according to this report, his left kidney was punctured."

"Well…maybe it was mistake. Maybe they meant his right kidney." _Although that is quite an egregious error to make. _

"See, that's what I considered. Which was why I actually paid a visit to the coroner's office and asked to have the body reexamined, but with another medical examiner, my colleague. And just to make sure, I myself stayed there as a witness. The stab wound was indeed where his left kidney would have been."

"I…see. So…this changes things a bit, but…the cause of death is the same, isn't it?" He saw her shake her head. _Oh no. _

"Now, I'm certainly not qualified enough to offer my own opinion, but from what I witnessed the examination, I suspect that he drowned. Given how deep the stab wound was, it couldn't have caused him to die, unless by excessive, and I mean excessive, blood loss, but still. We also saw that there was a lot of damage in his lungs, damage that can only be associated with the presence of fluid in them."

"In other words, drowning."

"Exactly. I think it's highly unlikely there's another cause of death. He didn't have any other known medical problems that could've caused him to die." She crossed her arms. "But then the question is whether the death was accidental, a suicide, or murder."

"I'm pretty sure it's a murder. We have a witness who turned out to actually be an eyewitness."

"Oh…that's…not good."

"But then that means we won't be able to tell who did it."

They were silent for a moment. Then, she pulled out a file out of her bag. "Here's a second autopsy report I had written up."

He read through it and couldn't help but glare at it. "What is the meaning of all of this?!"

Serena just shook her head. "I wish I knew. But if I may, I'd like to offer a suggestion. Have another medical examiner do a third autopsy report and confirm the results we got from this one."

"This is just wonderful. Who made this mistake?"

"I checked out who it was that did the first autopsy report. He's done a lot of them before, and there didn't seem to be any problems with them. I can't really understand what happened with this one. I'd want to say it's a simple mistake, but…" She shrugged. "It's not exactly simple, and a mistake is a mistake."

Again, they were silent until a little bell dinging was heard. Serena pulled out her phone. "Hm? Oh, it's just Sabrina." She gasped. "Oh my gosh! Look at the time! It's late. I really should get going." She stood up, and he followed her to the door.

"I'm sorry I bothered you at such a late hour Mr. Edgeworth, but…I…I couldn't put this off for tomorrow."

"No, no. Don't be sorry. I appreciate this."

She nodded her head, smiling a little. Before she could say anything more, her phone continued to make a lot of noise. "Alright, alright. I'm coming back, gosh! Goodnight, Mr. Edgeworth."

He watched her disappear into the dark night. He shut the door and went back into the living room, glancing at the second autopsy report she brought.

_Just what exactly is going on here? _

**Ugh. I don't really like this chapter either. I may or may not have the second day of the trial in the next chapter. Quite frankly, I'm just thinking of summarizing what happens in it, and then going into more of the investigation (because I totally **_**fail**_** at writing the trial parts of this, not the investigation is much better, though. But if you guys have some suggestions for me, then by all means, suggest away!). Anyway, please feel free to leave a review or private message me! Thanks!**


	14. Turnabout Conflict

**Geez! I feel so bad you guys! I've had a less-than-wonderful week, which is why I've been procrastinating on this chapter. Not to mention I'm getting way ahead of myself, drafting out future chapters and planning out what's going to happen. Sorry for the long wait!**

**I'm going to spare all of you from the awful trial and just provide a brief summary of the second day. I'm skipping the investigation too, only because I think I want to focus more on the conflicts that are happening with and between our characters (and like I said before, I am awful at writing the trial and investigation portions, so I'm not going to bother trying). Anyway, this is a relatively short chapter, but I hope it's good! **

**************_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Ace Attorney series characters!_**

Chapter 14 – Turnabout Conflict

"Well Boss? How do you think things are going?"

"Do you want me to be honest, or do you want me to bluff?"

Athena considered the question. "Even though I already know how you think things are going, the bluff would sound nice right now."

Phoenix nodded a little before saying, "Things are going wonderfully."

The two of them stood in the defendant's lobby. The second day of the trial was just as uneventful as the first one. The main problem was with the autopsy report, which still wasn't ready for the trial. Not to mention, everything seemed to point to Apollo as being the murderer.

"We need to get Apollo to somehow tell someone, anyone, what really happened," Phoenix began after a moment of silence. "The question is, who and how?"

Athena snapped her fingers, a grin on her face. "I know exactly who can do the job, Mr. Wright."

* * *

"Apollo."

Apollo looked up to see someone with brown eyes wearing a gray uniform with the well-known crest on it. It was the one person he had surprisingly not expected to see there, visiting him. "J-Juniper." She was a little smiling at him, and he returned it. "What are you doing here?"

"I should be the one asking you that, Apollo." She frowned as he looked away. "What's going on, Apollo? What happened?"

He was silent. He didn't want to tell anyone what had happened, what had led to him getting arrested. It was sensitive information. He tried to think of something else to talk about, when he remembered something very important was happening very soon. He gasped a little, gazing up at her.

"Juniper. Tomorrow…isn't that when you're…"

"Graduating? Yes, it is."

He had almost forgotten. His eyes widened when he came to a realization. The trial had not gone too well that day, and if it stayed that way... "Juniper…I…"

"Apollo," she began. "I…I know you want to come and see me graduate, and I want you to be there too, but if you don't tell me, or anyone for that matter, how you got into this huge mess, there's a good chance you won't be out of here." She had a very stern look on her face, much like how she was when he had first met her at Themis Legal Academy.

Apollo knew that, inevitably, he'd be having this conversation with someone, so who better than to have it with than his girlfriend? He sighed heavily. "I…I'll tell you, Juniper. But I need you to promise you won't tell Mr. Wright or Athena about it."

"But…what about the trial?"

"Let me rephrase that. You can tell them the basics of what I tell you, but…there are some things…some things I don't want you to tell them about."

Juniper hesitated. What did he mean? Nevertheless, she offered him a smile and nodded her head. At least he was going to tell her. "Alright."

"Okay. Here's how this whole mess began…"

* * *

"Well Junie?! What did Apollo say?!" Athena hounded her best friend, who had just come to the Wright Anything Agency from the detention center. Juniper was quiet. "Junie? What did he tell you?" _I…don't like where this is going. Not one bit._

"He…he told me…some things." Athena motioned with her hands for Juniper to elaborate. "I…Thena. I'll tell you." She sat down next to Athena on one of the couches. "Apollo. He was contacted by Mr. Huntley, who said he had sensitive information that Apollo…wanted to know."

"Sensitive information? What would that be?"

Junie frowned. "Thena...I...I can't tell you that. Apollo made me promise."

"Junie..."

"Please!" Juniper pleaded with her best friend. "You'd understand, Thena. If you knew, I know you would."

Athena didn't know how to respond to that. _Hm...what could this information be? And why won't he tell us?_ She wanted to press Junie about it, but she could tell her friend was struggling between keeping her boyfriend's secret and revealing it to her best friend. Athena smiled anyway. "I'm just glad that he told someone about it." She placed an arm around her friend's shoulders. "So tell me more about what he said happened."

* * *

At People Park, Trucy was accompanying Iris and Phoenix on a date. She was walking between the two adults. Despite the bright smile on her face though, Trucy knew better than to think things weren't awkward. No one had said a word to each other. She figured Phoenix was upset because of how the trial was going, but Iris...she didn't know why Iris seemed dismayed.

She sighed loudly, looking up at the sky. "It's such a wonderful day, isn't it?"

"Yeah."

"It is."

She frowned at their absentminded replies. This was not how their date should be going. She crossed her arms for a moment, pouting, until she came up with an idea. Discreetly, she took hold of Phoenix's right hand. He glanced down at their locked hands before looking up and giving her small smile, squeezing her hand a little.

Trucy and her Daddy had taken many a walk through this park for years. It was a nice time for them to just enjoy each other's company, back when their family consisted of only the two of them.

Trucy then turned to Iris, and grabbed her left hand. Iris gave Trucy a surprised look, before a smile appeared on her face. She had come to grow found of her Daddy's girlfriend. Secretly, despite her enthusiasm for finding a "new mommy," Trucy feared that if such a person was found, Phoenix would then spend all of his time with that person, leaving her to be alone.

But she should've known better than to doubt her Daddy like that, and she realized this when Phoenix had started dating Iris. Even though he did look forward to his time with his girlfriend, Phoenix always made sure to spend time with his beloved baby girl.

Trucy was satisfied as they all held hands and strolled the park. _It feels like we're a real family._ _A child, a daddy, and a mommy. _She sighed contently, her mind going off into the future, to a time when she could really call Iris her mommy.

"Aw! What an adorable family!" An elderly woman sitting on a bench they were passing by exclaimed.

Trucy was beaming, until she felt someone's hand release her own. She glanced to her left, shocked to see that it was her Daddy.

"Daddy?" She asked, uncertainly clear in her voice.

Phoenix had a deep frown on his face. _He looks almost as serious as Mr. Edgeworth._ Trucy nearly shuddered at the thought. Her Daddy was usually always smiling and carefree. To think that he now reminded her of the ever-serious prosecutor… This had her worried. Really worried.

"Trucy. Iris. I need to get back to the office, but how about you two stay and enjoy yourselves here?"

Before Trucy could object, Phoenix rushed away, hands shoved in his pockets and head down.

"What's wrong with Daddy?" Trucy thought aloud. When Phoenix had left, she felt Iris's grip on her other hand loosen and eventually let go.

"He's probably just worried about Apollo's trial is all, Trucy."

But Trucy could tell even Iris wasn't convinced by what she'd said.

* * *

Later that day...

Iris went to the Wright Anything Agency, hoping to find Phoenix there, and indeed, he was there, sitting at his desk, poring over a case file.

He looked up at her and smiled. "Hey."

"Hi Feenie." She smiled back. _He seems to be in a better mood now._ She took a seat in front of his desk. "What are you doing?"

"Looking over everything for the case tomorrow." He frowned as he put down some of the papers he was holding. "This autopsy report issue's been messing the trial up, not to mention the Judge seems convinced that Apollo's the only suspect." He held his head in his hands.

She smiled sympathetically. "I'm sorry Feenie. I wish I could help somehow."

He looked up at her, shaking his head. "It's fine, Iris. Just seeing you makes me feel a lot better."

She blushed at that, but stared down at her lap when he continued sifting through papers. "Um...Feenie?"

"Yes?"

"I...uh...well...I was just wondering..."

"What is it, Iris?"

She exhaled lightly. "Is...is everything okay?"

"What do you mean?" He asked skeptically, a frown forming on his face.

"You just...seem a little...distant...is all."

He sat back, crossing his arms. "Distant?"

She nodded. "Like today. At the park. You seemed preoccupied. Is something wrong?"

"No."

She couldn't help but be suspicious at how quickly he'd replied. "Are you sure, Feenie?"

"Yes, I'm sure," he replied, sounding slightly irritated.

"It's just that you..."

He slammed his hands on his desk. "Iris! I don't want to talk about this, okay?! So just let it go!" His blue eyes flashed in anger. Iris's eyes widened in shock. The two of them went silent. Iris couldn't believe it. He had never, ever raised his voice at her like that. She watched him hold his head in his hands. She waited for a minute.

"I...I should go," she said quietly, getting up. She reached the door and paused. She looked over her shoulder to see him once more reading the papers on his desk. She hoped he'd stop her from leaving.

He didn't.

Shutting the door behind her, Iris let the tears flow from her eyes. _Feenie...What's going on?! What's happened to you?! Why are you pushing me away?!_

* * *

"Hey Simon!" Athena cheerfully greeted the prosecutor as she entered his office. She plopped down in one of the chairs in front of his desk.

"Athena," he greeted her.

She pouted a little. "The very least you could do is put down that paper and look at me!" She waited, but he proceeded to ignore her. "Hmph!" She turned her head away, crossing her arms.

He snuck a quick look up at her from his paper, smirking at her antics. "How are you?"

It took her a moment to realize that he had spoken to her. "Oh, me? I'm doing well."

His eyebrows went up as he placed the paper on his desk. "You're doing well?"

"Yes. Why? Is there a problem with that?!" She snapped a little.

He shook his head, tsking at her. "Athena. You should know better than to lie to your boyfriend about how you're feeling."

"Who said I'm lying?! You're just looking into it too much."

"She's lying," a robotic voice declared.

"My point is proven." He watched as Athena frowned a little. He leaned forward. "Athena. Tell me. What's wrong?"

She didn't want to tell him. She didn't want him to know that she was bothered about the secretiveness of her two coworkers at the agency. He would probably just tease her about it.

"Cykes-dono," he said firmly. "Tell me what's troubling you."

She knew that tone of voice. She wasn't getting out of this one that easily. "It's…Mr. Wright and Apollo."

"What about them?"

"They've both…well, the two of them, they've been kind of…distant. They both don't seem as happy as they used to be, and…" She stopped, not wanting to say it aloud. "They're hiding something."

"Hiding something? What is it?"

"I don't know!" She replied exasperatingly. "Mr. Wright's been pretty busy doing who-knows-what, while Apollo won't tell us what's the deal with him and that guy, Mr. Huntley!"

Simon thought about what she had said. He had heard about Apollo's trial, and how the defense attorney was not being as cooperative when it came to revealing the reason why he was going to meet the victim.

He looked up Athena. Her usual bright blue eyes were dull, and Widget was blue and projecting a sad face. He loathed seeing her troubled, but even he wasn't sure what to tell her.

"Ahem. Well, I'm sure that…they both have…very good reasons why they're hiding…whatever it is from you," he said awkwardly.

Athena gave him an odd look. "Did you just say that? I was expecting something more along the lines of, 'Hmph. You shouldn't be fretting over such trivial matters, Cykes-dono.'" She had furrowed her brows and deepened her voice several octaves in her imitation of the prosecutor.

He snorted. "You would expect me to say that, wouldn't you?" He frowned when she once again turned away. "I mean it, Athena. I'm sure they wouldn't hide anything from you for no reason at all. Perhaps it's something private that they'd rather not share."

"Yeah, but still." She was obviously unconvinced.

Hoping to get a smile out of her, he leaned back in his seat. "You know? It is a shame I wasn't the prosecutor for the case."

"Why? So that we could shoot insults back and forth at each other?"

He laughed a little. "There's that, true. But what I meant was had I been the prosecutor, I could've easily gotten Taka to take care of Justice-dono and have him explain himself to the court."

Athena looked confused momentarily before a smile broke out on her face. "I get it! Yeah, now that you mention it, it would've been super nice if you were the prosecutor. The moment Apollo would see Taka, he would tell us everything!"

He grinned. "Of course he would. Although," he couldn't help the frown that appeared on his own face. "Chief Prosecutor warned me about Taka and his…antics, in the courtroom."

"It's about time someone said something about that bird of yours." Athena searched around the office. "Where is he anyway?"

"Oh, probably on the rooftop of the courthouse."

Athena's eyes widened. "Wow. He really has made the courthouse its home, hasn't he?"

Simon shrugged. "It's a second home to him." He stood up from his desk.

"Where are you going?" She asked as he made his way to the door.

"We're going to go outside for a while."

"We?"

"Yes, we. Why? Will that pose an issue?"

"Er…no." She got up and went over to him. "But why all of a sudden?"

As he opened the door, he replied, "We could both use some sunshine, couldn't we?"

She shrugged. "Can't hurt."

The two of them left the Prosecutor's Office and were walking outside on the streets when Athena saw a familiar figure in the distance.

"Hey! Iris!" She ran up to the woman who didn't seem to hear her. "Iris! How are you?"

She heard the woman sniffle a little. "Good, Athena."

Athena gasped a little. _She….she sounds __really__ hurt. _"Iris. What's wrong? Are you okay?!" She was concerned.

"I'm…I'm fine…"

Simon had caught up with Athena and looked from her to Iris then back to her. "What's the matter, Cykes-dono?"

Athena waved at him to be quiet. "Come on, Iris. You can tell me," she prodded gently. She was shocked to the see the woman's eyes were red and filled with tears.

"It's…Feenie."

_Her voice…there's discord in her heart. I can tell. But…why?_

"F…oh. You mean Mr. Wright. What about Mr. Wright?"

"He…he yelled at me."

"He WHAT?!" Athena exclaimed, knowing Widget was probably red. She clenched her fists. "How could he do something like that? And to YOU of all people!"

Simon could see that Athena was ready to go on a rampage. "Now, now Cykes-dono. Calm down. I'm sure…"

"No Simon! I cannot calm down! How dare Mr. Wright do something like this?!" Athena stopped yelling when she noticed that Iris was crying. She wrapped her arms around her. "It's okay, Iris. You just cry." She patted the older woman's back.

Simon could see the gears in Athena's head turning at full speed. _Wright-dono better watch out. Athena won't let this slip by easily. _

"Simon. We're going to need your help in all of this."

"In all of what?"

"We're going to find out what's going on with Mr. Wright. We can't keep putting this off forever. We need to take some serious action!"

"Now Cykes-dono. You need to slow down. Have you all asked Wright-dono what's the matter?"

Athena gave Simon the "are you serious" look. "Really? Of course we did ask him, you dummy!"

"And what did he say?"

"He usually just brushes it off, saying it's other business. Heck, he won't even tell his girlfriend, Simon! Something's seriously up!"

"Are you absolutely positive everyone's asked him?" He had a person in mind.

"Yes, I'm absolutely positive every-" Athena stopped.

"Well?"

Athena looked down at Iris, who had finally stopped crying. "Iris? Did Trucy ask Mr. Wright about what's going on?"

Sniffling, Iris shook her head as she pulled away from Athena. "No. Not that I know of."

"Then have her ask him."

"Simon! That's a great idea!"

"Actually, Athena. I…don't think we should resort to that extreme."

"What?!" Simon exclaimed.

"And why is that, Iris?!"

Iris looked down at her feet. "Trucy…she's such a happy and sweet girl." Her eyes lifted. "I don't want her to know about all of this. She'll only get upset about it."

Athena couldn't help but also agree with her. "That's…true." She also didn't like the idea of worrying the young, carefree magician and youngest member of the Wright Anything Agency. However, never being one who wouldn't rise up to a challenge, Athena took in a deep breath. "That's fine then. We'll…just find some other way to get Mr. Wright to spill the beans."

She began chattering with Iris, trying to distract her from the matter, with Simon tailing them. He let out a silent sigh. _By "we," I suppose this means she's going to string me into this whole affair. *Sigh* Wonderful. _

**Yeah. Reading over this chapter, I'm so not happy with it, but it's the best I could do. Things are in a rather awkward position for me in terms of writing this. The next chapter **_**might **_**be a trial portion, although again, I might just give a summary of what happens in it. If that is the case, then it'll be a short chapter. (I'd super appreciate it if you guys did let me know if you would have any objections to me _not_ writing a trial!) Anyway, I hope this chapter wasn't too bad. I know it's not my best work, and I deeply apologize. Feel free to leave a review or private message me. Thanks!**


	15. Turnabout Innocent

**Yeah. So I decided not to write the third day of the trial. It isn't essential to the story, really. But here's the next chapter. It does explain what basically happened and the result of the trial. This one's pretty short. **

******_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Ace Attorney series characters!_**

Chapter 15 - Turnabout Innocent

"Gosh Mr. Wright. I don't know how we pulled it off, but we sure did, didn't we?!"

Phoenix sighed heavily. "Yeah, I guess we did." _Although we should probably be thanking Kay for investigating the video footage from Apollo's apartment building; otherwise, we would've never been able to prove Apollo's innocence. _

Indeed, Athena had continued her own investigation of the crime scene on the second day, after she had finished comforting Iris. Kay had contacted her, telling her rival defense attorney that she was running an investigation of Apollo's apartment. Video footage from the day of the murder was discovered, which had caught a suspicious-looking man who had stolen the knife from Apollo's bike. What was more significant was that the man fit the vague description of the man who had tipped off Officer Meekins, and everyone was convinced that this man, whoever he was, killed Mr. Huntley.

A third and final autopsy report was written up, recording all of the information about Huntley accurately, and it had stated that the cause of death was drowning in the water. The Judge was easily convinced that Apollo was innocent, and with no objections from Kay, he found him not guilty.

"But that just leaves the only question: who did kill Mr. Huntley, and why?" Athena crossed her arms, deep in thought. _Although the bigger question is what did he have to do with Apollo?_

Right at that moment, their client came up to them. "Mr. Wright. Athena. Thank you. So much…for doing this for me."

Athena saw that Phoenix only nodded. _Well, they're obviously on good terms with each other._ Pushing her sarcastic thoughts aside, she smiled brightly. "Of course, Apollo! Did you really think we'd let you go to jail like that?!" She laughed a little nervously, especially since neither Apollo nor Phoenix expressed any kind of emotion whatsoever.

Clearing her throat, she nudged Apollo. "Anyway, Apollo. You have somewhere to be, don't you?"

"Yeah. I've got to get to the academy fast! I'll see you!" With that, he ran off quickly.

"Gee. I never knew he could run so fast," Athena mused. "I kind of wish he would agree to race with me around the courthouse. He actually seems like he'll be some good competition for me." Upon hearing silence, she looked to her left at Phoenix. "Um…Mr. Wright?"

The older defense attorney had been spacing off when Athena called out to him. "Hm? What is it, Athena?"

"You just seemed…distracted. You should be happier. We got Apollo declared not guilty after all!"

"You're right, and I am happy, even if I may not seem it."

_Mr. Wright. I can hear your emotions, and they're only 10% happy. The other 90%...is all discord. _

"Anyway, Athena, I've got to go."

"Where are you going, Mr. Wright?"

"…Nowhere, in particular."

"So you won't mind if I join you then!" She regarded him carefully to see his reaction.

"I actually do mind," he replied a little darkly.

Athena was taken aback. _Whoa. What was that?! I knew he'd refuse…but I was not expecting this!_

It was apparent that even Phoenix felt he had acted oddly. "What I mean is that…I…I need to be alone for a while. Besides, Trucy's at the office, and she had something she wanted to talk to you about."

"She does? Then I better get there fast!" With that, Athena jogged away from him. Halfway to the office, she stopped mid-run, thinking about what had happened. "Wait a second. Did he just lie to me so that I would leave him alone? Maybe Trucy isn't waiting for me at the office?" She shrugged. "Oh well, only one way to find out!"

* * *

"Hey Athena! So, how did the trial go?! You guys got a not-guilty verdict for Polly, didn't you?!"

"We sure did."

"That's awesome. I'm so glad! I was kind of worried, actually. But you know?" Trucy crossed her arms as she pouted. "I just don't get why Polly won't tell us what he was doing with that man!"

"Yeah. It would be nice to know, and Junie's been sworn to secrecy, so we won't get anything out of her either."

Trucy sighed a little, and that's somehow when Athena noticed something a little out of place in the office. "Hey. Where's Iris?"

"She's at her apartment. We were going to go out together, but she called the office this morning and told me that she wasn't feeling very well, and that she wouldn't be able to come."

"Oh…right." _Well, after what happened yesterday with Mr. Wright, I can imagine she isn't feeling too great. _

"Where's Daddy, Athena? I thought he would be coming with you?"

"He said he had something to do."

"Daddy's been acting kind of weird lately. But I guess that's because of the trial and everything going on with Polly, right?"

Athena saw Trucy looking at her expectantly. "Yeah. You're right. I'm sure that's it." Athena hoped Trucy didn't see through her lie.

* * *

"This is absolutely preposterous!"

"I know, sir. I'm sorry, pal."

Edgeworth glared at Gumshoe. "Detective. I want you to make sure that that officer is not allowed on patrol duty. Ever. Again."

"Of course, Mr. Edgeworth sir! I'll make sure to tell the Chief about it right away!"

"See to it that you do."

"See you, sir."

Edgeworth groaned. While he was pleased with the verdict of the trial, he was extremely upset by the fact that the real criminal had not been brought to justice. He was working closely with the police to try to find the man, but so far, there was no sign of him. Not yet anyways. And it was all thanks to one Officer Meekins.

_That man seems to only cause problems for me. Even more so than Detective Gumshoe…_

"Hey Mr. Edgeworth!"

"Did you hear about the trial today?!" Kay bounded into the office and plopped down in the chair in front of his desk.

"Yes, I did."

"And?" Kay waved her hands expectantly.

"And what?"

"Don't you have anything to say?" Edgeworth just stared at her.

_What am I supposed to say? _

"You're supposed to say, 'Great job, Kay! I knew you'd be able to get the right verdict and steal the truth!'"

"Hmph. It's good that Mr. Justice was found not guilty, but we've yet to find the real criminal, Kay. It's hardly the time to celebrate."

She frowned and crossed her arms. "Gosh Mr. Edgeworth. I don't think you'll ever change. You're always going to be a grumpy old man."

"I beg your pardon!" He began indignantly. "I am not an old man, and excuse me for being upset that a criminal is still on the run!"

"Yeah…I guess you're right. They still haven't found him, have they?"

"No, I'm afraid not. What's worse is that word has already gone out about this person, so he's probably hiding."

"Or he may not even be here in the area anymore," Kay added. Realizing that was probably not the best thing to say to the already irritated prosecutor, she glanced up at him to see his frown had deepened. "Don't worry, Mr. Edgeworth. I'm sure the police will find him soon." She stood up. "Anyway, got to get back to the office. See ya!" She left his office.

_I certainly hope so, Kay._

**Like I said at the beginning, this was a short chapter. I've got a longer one that's still in progress. I promise it should be better than this one. I've decided to speed things up in the story a little, like going ahead one month in it so that I can get straight to focusing on the mysteries with Phoenix and Apollo. For some reason, I can't seem to figure out what to write and how to build up more suspense, so yeah. The next chapter will sort of summarize what happens in the span of a month, and it should be posted (hopefully) in the next couple of days. But anyway, that aside, feel free to leave a review or private message me. Thanks! **


	16. Turnabout Perspectives

**This chapter is slightly different with the way I've written it. Basically, I'm trying to catch everyone up with the month that has passed by since the day Apollo was found innocent. Even though this took me a long time to write out, I actually kind of don't mind it. But anyway, hope you enjoy!**

******_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Ace Attorney series characters!_**

Chapter 16 – Turnabout Perspectives

? ~

_Secrets. In the rarest cases, they're necessary and help maintain relationships. But most of the time, they are the cause for relationships to break apart. I fear that…the latter is the case when it comes to me. Life has been one huge secret for me, it seems. They're such hard things to carry in one's mind and heart. A heavy burden. I wish to be released of it, but fear…it has a strong hold upon my already weak heart. _

_I need to fight against this crippling fear, make it release its grip on my heart, so that I may confess to those who I care about deeply. I know I must do this soon, for my time is limited. I consider myself quite lucky to even be here now, the way I am. _

_I was released from the darkness, only to be slowly consumed by it. Before it swallows me whole, I must bring the truth into the light._

* * *

Miles Edgeworth ~

_Even after a month, that man remains missing in action. I fear that he has long left the city, probably laughing at his victory of having escaped from the law. To think a murderer is living outside of prison…it makes my blood boil. _

_I paid a random visit to the Wright Anything Agency not too long ago, but only Trucy was there. I have to say, it was rather odd, seeing her there all by herself. Usually, one of the three lawyers are there, if not all of them. I have seen Wright recently, however. He seemed a bit…closed off, I believe would be the correct way to put it. He's acting rather suspicious too, but I didn't bother to ask him what was going on. Perhaps I should've? _

_No. I'm sure whatever it is that's bothering him, he'll be able to deal with it. I shouldn't pry into his personal matters anyway, especially with everything I already have to worry about. A criminal on the run, botched autopsy reports, and all of the other crimes that have been occurring. When will this madness end?! I would like to say soon; however, that would be a blatant lie. _

_It is far from over._

* * *

Kay Faraday ~

_I may not show it on the outside, but I am just as angry as Mr. Edgeworth is that there's a murderer still on the loose. I can't believe he could've slipped under our noses! But then again, it's really the fault of Officer Meekins. Seriously? Why is that guy still working at the police office?! He could barely handle being the Blue Badger at Gatewater Land!_

_In other news, I haven't seen Athena or Trucy for a while. I was kind of hoping I'd run into them. Mr. Edgeworth sure could use a distraction. He's getting more frowny-faced than normal, and I'm worried he's only going to develop more lines on his forehead. He has more than enough of them already! And what better distraction than a date?! Although, I've gotta say, he's proven to be very difficult to find a compatible person for. _

_I thought maybe Serena might be a good candidate, but according to Athena, their personality types are 99.99% incompatible, and Trucy told me that she isn't looking for a relationship right now anyway, so there goes that idea. I've been trying to find someone who's just like Mr. Edgeworth. We tried the opposites attract method, and obviously, that's failed. Maybe he might be attracted to a woman who's just like him. _

…_Maybe._

* * *

Athena Cykes ~

_Iris's upset. Apollo's upset. Mr. Wright's upset. Trucy's upset. I'm upset. The once safe, happy haven that is the Wright Anything Agency has become a place that I quite honestly dread going to everyday. Sometimes I debate whether I should just make up an excuse and try to avoid coming here sometimes, but…I just can't do it. _

_I've been trying to put on a brave face. I really am, especially in front of Simon. I don't want him to know that I'm really anxious about this whole issue. He's already got enough to worry about anyway. He doesn't need this. _

_I want to say that I'm glad that no one says much when we're in the office, save for Trucy (although despite how hard she tries to hide it, I can faintly hear the discord in her heart). Because I know…if everyone spoke up, I'd be able to hear all of the rampant, conflicting emotions…and quite frankly, I don't think I can handle it. I can't even handle the silence that consumes the office, even when we're all there. It's suffocating and yet, it's also saving me. _

_Saving me from hearing what's really inside everyone's hearts._

* * *

Simon Blackquill ~

_I don't need to look at Widget to know that Athena is troubled. She tries to hide it from me, but she doesn't realize how well I know her. Almost better than I know myself to be honest. She hasn't been talking much about what goes on at the office, and she's been quite gloomy lately. _

_It's driving me insane. She is not the kind of girl who should be_ _so upset and worrying. Also, she's usually quite skilled at masking her emotions, but it seems that the situation has reached the point where she can't even hold it in anymore. She's almost beginning to remind me more of the young Athena I met so long ago. _

_That thought terrifies me. She has come such a long way to be the person she is today. She's the sunshine that came to help emit her rays of light on the Dark Age of the Law, and…she's the warm light that unfroze my cold, isolated heart. She saved me. Now, I want to save her. _

_I've been trying my very best to distract her, to engage her in activities which couples involve themselves. Of course, this has proven to be quite difficult for me. I don't exactly have a good handle on this whole 'boyfriend' thing, and I don't who to ask advice for. I can't ask Wright-dono, because he is apparently, as Athena had put it, 'the worst boyfriend ever,' although I think she might be being a little too harsh. Chief Prosecutor is out of the question (quite frankly, I'm positive I know __much__ more than he does when it comes to these kinds of matters). _

_And then there's that glimmerous fop, Gavin. He's probably the one person I could ask who'd provide me with some useful information, but I refuse to ask him. That would make me seem desperate, and I don't want him of all people to think that, although that isn't far from the truth. I am desperate. _

_Desperate to see her happy once more._

* * *

? ~

_I should probably feel bad. Guilty, like an awful person, for what I'm doing, and you know? I kind of do. Kind of. 1% of me feels guilty, but then I remember that I shouldn't feel guilty at all. Why should I be? I'm doing this for myself. I don't need to be concerned about how she feels or will feel. Whether she likes it or not is no concern of mine. All I need to do is follow the instructions I've been given... _

_And I'll be greatly rewarded._

* * *

Iris Fey ~

_I've been going to the Wright Anything Agency less and less. I can't face him. Feenie…_

_I wish I knew what was going on. Ever since that day he yelled at me, I sort of stopped talking to him, and him, me. He's so different. He's guarded and secretive. He's certainly not the same Feenie he was when we met in college, but…I didn't expect him to have changed so much. _

_Maybe I was being too naïve, to think we could even try to go back to what we were so long ago. Maybe we aren't meant to be together, despite my heart's protest otherwise. Maybe __he's__ realized we aren't meant to be together too, and that's why he's distancing himself from me. Yeah, that's probably it, but I hope it isn't. _

_I was finally beginning to feel comfortable being at the Wright Anything Agency. It was awkward when I first starting dating Feenie again. I felt rather out of place, but everyone welcomed me with open arms. They accepted me. Even if things remain the way they are now, I'll never forget that feeling. I still have a couple of months before I begin my classes at the university. I'm considering whether I should go stay at Hazakura Temple until then, given how the situation is here in the city right now. I don't __want__ to leave, though. What I want to do is run back to Feenie and apologize. For what, I don't know. _

_I just want him to hold me in his arms, to wipe the tears I've cried every night since that day…to kiss me, to say he loves me, and to tell me…despite the way I feel…_

_Everything will be alright._

* * *

? ~

_Things are very strange around here. I don't know what it is. I feel like I'm being surrounded by something…evil. Some kind of conspiracy. I don't understand why though. Maybe it's just my paranoia getting to me, but…I can't get rid of the feeling, like something huge is going to happen. But one thing's for sure. Whatever __it__ is…_

_I'm not going to like it. Not one bit._

* * *

Juniper Woods ~

_I don't need to be at the Wright Anything Agency to feel the tension that exists there. I can see it Apollo's eyes. I wish there was something I can do, some way I could bring everyone back together again. I know Apollo's secret, what he's been hiding from the others. Personally, I think he should tell them too, and I even suggested the idea once, but he refused. Why? Because he didn't want them to feel rejected, but for someone with strong, perceptive eyes, he can blind to some of the most obvious things. I don't think they'd feel rejected if they knew. Rather, they probably feel rejected now, given the way he's been acting around them. But I don't say anything to him anymore. Because I know, when the time is right…_

_Apollo __will__ tell them._

* * *

Apollo Justice ~

_Family. Not something I can say I know much about. It wasn't even something I thought of much. Not until recently. I've been here at the Wright Anything Agency for almost two years now. I can still remember the first time I walked in here, back when it was the Wright Talent Agency. I was pretty skeptical of the place, not to mention the people there. But…it's grown on me. __They've__ grown on me. It's nice to be in a place where you feel like you belong. Like you were meant to be there. _

_Like you're a part of a family. _

_But now, it seems like as the days go on, this family is falling apart, and it's partially my fault. Family members shouldn't keep secrets from each other, and I am, but so is Mr. Wright. I would tell them. I want to tell them, but…I don't want to hurt them. I don't want them to feel bad or guilty. I wish I knew what to do, but I don't. _

_I sometimes wonder what Clay would do if he were ever in this situation. How would he handle something like this? When I think that way, though, I know one thing: he wouldn't have kept the whole thing a secret. From the very beginning, he would've told everyone about it, unlike me. These are those moments when I miss him the most. But Juniper's by side always, so that's comforting. I'm shocked she hasn't broken up with me, after knowing what's been going on in my crazy life. I know she doesn't fully understand my situation, but I appreciate that she's trying. _

_She's the only one who knows my hidden agenda._

* * *

? ~

_I love her. Yes, I can confirm this fact. I have no doubts whatsoever. I love her. She's the one for me, I just know, even if she doesn't. She'll realize it eventually though. She's just holding herself back. I can tell she loves me too, the way she acts around me. She just doesn't understand how she feels towards me. But no problem, for I shall confess my love to her, and she will do the same and thank me for making her see the light. And then… _

_We will live happily ever after._

* * *

Phoenix Wright ~

_There have been so many cases to handle this past month, it's crazy! So crazy that Athena, Apollo and I are each handling our own cases. Ever since Apollo's trial, we haven't worked together on a single case, which was quite the rare occurrence, but now, it's part of the norm. I'm to blame for this, I know that. _

_Apollo and I haven't had a normal conversation with each other ever since Athena and I got him his not guilty verdict. He's keeping a secret from us, just as I'm keeping a secret from everyone too. I want to talk to him, I really do, but I just can't look him in the eye without having guilt consuming me. He has changed though. Heh. Usually, he's the loudest one at the office, practicing his Chords of Steel here because he got too many complaints from his neighbors. He doesn't anymore. He barely says anything at all, unless it has to do with a case. _

_Then there's Athena. She's onto me, I can tell. She secretly gives me these looks, all of which say basically the same thing: you're hiding something from us. I act like I don't notice them. I deserve them, after all. I'm surprised, though, that she hasn't badgered me about the matter. It's…not like her to leave something like that alone. I guess she must've realized that I won't tell her, despite how much she'll try. Honestly, I wish she did ask me. To know she's given up so quickly, it's almost frightening._

_Iris hasn't come to the office in a while. I feel awful for yelling at her that day. We haven't spoken to each other since. She doesn't deserve a guy like me, who yells at her for no reason and keeps things from her. She deserves someone better. However, she might be the only person who I can talk to about this, but I don't know if I want to take that chance. What if I tell her, and she hates me for it? No…I don't want her to hate me, if she doesn't already. _

_And finally, Trucy, my little girl…I never hide anything from Trucy, and she doesn't hide anything from me either. She appears to be the least affected by my secretiveness, but she can't fool her father. I know, deep down, she's worried, but I can't do anything to change that. At least, I can do anything easy to change that. The easiest option would be for me to reveal everything to her, but that's too complicated. _

_I'm a horrible boss to Athena and Apollo, a bad boyfriend to Iris, and worse of all, a terrible father to Trucy. _

_I can't tell anyone. Especially not __them__. They'll __never__ forgive me for this. None of them would. I just know it. They'll accuse me of betraying them, for lying to them. I wish I hadn't gotten myself involved in this. I should've said no. I should've refused, but…I couldn't help myself. Now I'm in too deep to back out. Every night, I ask myself the same question: "Why am I doing this?" Most of the time, I regret it._

_But sometimes, I don't._

* * *

? ~

_Revenge. A seven letter word; the source of motivation for me to stay alive and sane. Hmph. They think they've stopped me, that I'm not able to do anything where I am now. How wrong they are. They don't see what I've got in store for them. I will complete my mission. I will succeed, and no one shall stop me, no matter how much they try. From the information I've been given, my plan is working quite well. At this rate, I am sure that I will ruin her life and his life too._

_I will ruin them all, just as they ruined me._

* * *

Trucy Wright ~

_Things seem…strained, in the Wright Anything Agency. But maybe that's because everyone here has had case after case to take care of. Polly is uncharacteristically quiet, Athena isn't in her usual high-spirits, and Daddy…Daddy's hiding something. Not just from all of us, but more importantly, from me. What could it be? I don't understand why he would want to keep something from me. We always share our secrets with each other. When I asked him about what was bothering him recently, he first tried to deny it, but…I could perceive it, his apprehension. When I asked him a second time, he said he really didn't want to talk about it, and that everything was fine. He's keeping a secret._

_And I don't know what's going on with him and Iris. I thought their relationship was going great! But now…they barely talk to each other, and she barely comes around to the office anymore. She's still very nice to me and Athena and Polly, but…she doesn't say a word to Daddy, and he doesn't say anything to her either. It's like they don't exist to each other. _

_But what's worst of all…is that it seems like we're all growing apart from each other. I remember the times when we'd all just sit in the office lobby, watching movies together or playing games. And when I'd drag everyone to sit down and watch me practice my magic. It didn't matter __what__ we were doing, only that we were doing it together. But now, everyone's been going their separate ways. I've found myself at the office, all alone. I'm not scared of being alone in the office, but…still. _

_I keep putting on a smile for everyone though. I don't want anyone to know how I'm really feeling. Maybe this is conceited of me to think this, but I can't help but feel like I'm the one who keeps everyone together. The glue that holds the pieces of Wright Anything Agency together. I need to make sure we all stay close, but my efforts don't seem to be working. _

_I usually look forward to having magic shows to perform, but I don't have one scheduled anytime soon, and honestly, I'm actually really glad. Why, you ask? Because I feel like the magic at the Wright Anything Agency…has disappeared. And what breaks my heart is… _

_I don't know how to bring it back. _

**Yeah, so I thought I'd tried writing the perspectives of the characters, although looking back on it now, I'm not sure how well I did. I guess I can leave you guys to judge my work. But I hope you liked it. Feel free to leave a review or private message me. Thanks!**


	17. Turnabout Affair

**Short chapter. Had sort of a tough time with this one, writing it out, even though I knew what I wanted to happen in it. Once enough people read it, I'll make sure to finish up/post the next chapter. **

******_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Ace Attorney series characters!_**

Chapter 17 - Turnabout Affair

"Cykes-dono. Come on. It'll be nice to go and take a nice walk in the park."

_Has it really come to this? Me, asking Athena to go to the park? This is horribly wrong. I must find a way to fix this!_

"Do I have to?" Athena whined. Lately, she wasn't too fond of going outside. She much preferred staying in Simon's office when she didn't have a case to handle. She had grown rather accustomed to sitting there quietly while he went about his work.

"Yes, you do. Now let's go." He literally had to drag the orange-haired defense attorney out of his office.

They walked in silence all the way to the park. Athena was quite occupied with her own thoughts to realize where they were headed. She looked up at the park entrance. "People Park," she read the sign above them before looking at him. "Why are we here?"

He shrugged. "It's a park, and there should be people here, right? You need to be around people, Cykes-dono. Now stop dawdling."

"I wasn't dawdling."

"Hmph." He waited for her to walk in front of him, but she stood her ground. Sighing and rolling his eyes, he took hold of her hand and pulled her behind him. He slowed down a little, glancing over at her. His eyes immediately went to Widget, who was pink. Quirking an eyebrow, he felt her squeeze his hand in hers and realized that she was blushing because he was holding her hand. It was a gesture he didn't do in public.

_Perhaps I'm not too bad at being a boyfriend. _He smiled to himself, giving her hand a squeeze as well.

* * *

"So…what are your plans for the summer, Juniper?"

The black-haired girl thought about the question. "Well, I'd like to spend some time with my parents, tend to my garden, knit some more outfits with my grandma, and…" She stopped.

"And?"

"And spend time with my boyfriend."

Apollo chuckled, a hand rubbing the back of his neck. "Sounds like you've got everything all planned out!"

"I sure do. And what about you, Apollo? What are your plans?"

Apollo sighed heavily. "Besides handling more cases and spending time with you, nothing else really."

"No magic shows to look forward to?"

Apollo frowned. "No, afraid not. I can't believe I'm saying this, but…I kind of miss being Trucy's assistant."

That was quite a shock for Juniper, since a quarter of their conversations were about how Trucy had another magic trick for which Apollo had to act as her assistant. "Well, you know what they say. You don't know what you have in front of you until it's gone."

"Yeah, that's pretty accurate."

* * *

It had to be fate that the paths all led to the center of the park.

"Cykes-dono. Isn't that your friend Juniper and Justice-dono over there?" Simon pointed.

Athena brightened up a little. Releasing Simon's hand, she jogged up to them. "Hey you two! I didn't know you were going to be here at the park!"

"Same here, Thena."

"Athena."

"Apollo."

The atmosphere wasn't tense between the two defense attorneys, but it wasn't exactly relaxed either.

"So…" Athena began, kicking her foot in the dirt.

"Yeah," Apollo nodded his head, looking down at the ground.

"Justice-dono, Woods-dono."

Juniper giggled a little. "Mr. Blackquill, you can call me Juniper, you know."

"Yeah, Simon. That's what you used to call her!" Athena added.

"Er…alright…Juniper." He cringed. He didn't like addressing people by their first name and without "dono" added to the end.

Just then, they heard another pair of footsteps come by.

A woman with black, shoulder-length hair was staring down at the ground as she nearly walked passed them.

"Iris!" Athena called out, causing the woman to stop and turn around.

"Athena, Apollo." She slowly made her way over to them. "How are you two?"

"Awesome!" Athena replied, holding up a peace sign.

Simon snorted a little. _Liar._

"I'm fine, Iris. How about you?" Apollo asked.

"Me? I'm…well, thank you."

_Ugh. I can hear the pain in her heart. I wish I could do something to help, but…_

"H-how's…Fe…Mr. Wright?"

"He's alright. Pretty busy with work and stuff," Apollo explained.

No one had spoken for a while after that. All of them had their minds on the spiky-haired defense attorney.

Just then, Juniper gasped, a hand going to her mouth. "Oh my gosh! I need to go back to my grandmothers!" She smiled at the others. "It was nice seeing all of you. Bye!" She then brushed a quick kiss on Apollo's cheek. "I'll call you later, Apollo."

Apollo just waved at her as she ran off, his cheeks red.

"Aw…look at that. Apollo's blushing!" Athena teased. "How cute!"

Apollo just crossed his arms, but his face only turned more red. His eyes then landed on Iris, who was standing there awkwardly, head down. Apollo motioned his head to her, looking at Athena.

Athena sighed a little. "Iris," she began. "You haven't been coming to the agency much." She watched as Iris nodded her head. "We miss you, you know."

"And your mini-omelettes!" Apollo added enthusiastically, only to get a glare from Athena.

"Have you not resolved things with Wright-dono?"

Iris shook her head. "No, I haven't. After that day…I decided not to ask him about it anymore."

Athena tapped her earring, her head tilted up at the blue sky. "What could it be that Mr. Wright's hiding from us?" She wondered aloud.

"Beats me," Apollo answered.

Athena's eyes darted to him. "What?" Apollo repeated himself. She narrowed her eyes. _Something…in his voice…tells me otherwise. _

"Why are you glaring at me, Athena?"

"You know something, Apollo," she stated, making Iris and Simon now stare at Apollo.

Apollo's eyes widened. "W-why would you say that?!"

"Now you're nervous, and now I know you know something." Athena walked up to him, leaning forward, a menacing look on her face. "Mr. Wright told you about his secret, didn't he?!"

Apollo walked backwards away from her. "No! He didn't! I swear! He hasn't said a word to me!"

Athena crossed her arms. "Then what are you so nervous about?" She saw him fidget a little. "Come on, Apollo."

"Well…you see…the thing is…"

"Justice-dono. Out with it already!" Simon threatened.

"Alright! Alright!" He sighed. "You guys…I…I've been thinking about this for a while, and…well, I think I may know what's going on with Mr. Wright and all of his secretiveness."

"Well? What are you waiting for Apollo?! Spill!" Athena demanded.

Iris looked at Apollo with interest. Did he really know what was going on with Phoenix?

He looked all around them, and then motioned for the three of them to huddle in closer to him. He whispered to the group, and all they did was gasp before separating a little.

Iris covered her mouth with her hands. "Feenie…he…he wouldn't…" Iris began stuttering as tears filled her eyes.

"Apollo! How could you say something like that?!" Athena shouted. _Has he gone insane?! _

"That…does make sense, Athena. Think about Wright-dono's mannerisms. His secretiveness, refusing to tell anyone where he's going or what he's doing. But, what evidence do you have, Justice-dono?"

"Juniper and I followed him about two months ago to an apartment building, and he went to one of the apartments there, obviously visiting someone."

"Who was he visiting, Apollo?" Athena asked, feeling a little skeptical about the idea.

Apollo gave her a name. "N-NO WAY! That's…no!"

"Think about it, Athena! This person hasn't come to visit in a while, has she?" Athena realized that Apollo was right.

"But…would she…how could she…agh!"

"Am…am I not good enough?!" Iris asked brokenly.

Athena hugged the woman. "You're more than enough!" She paused before adding, "And if Mr. Wright doesn't see that, then…he's blind!" Unfortunately, rather than console Iris, this had only made her cry harder.

"Hmph. This doesn't surprise in the very least. I knew there was something odd about her. We must confront her immediately!" Simon declared.

_Uh oh. I hope he isn't thinking of doing anything too drastic. _

"I agree, Prosecutor Blackquill. Let's get going. Come on, Iris, Athena."

* * *

Unfortunately, the four of them were unable to locate the person of interest, but instead ran into another person, who knew of the "other woman," as Athena now referred to the person as.

"So you know her?" Apollo asked.

"Quite well, yes."

Athena jumped in. "Has a lawyer come here to meet with her?"

"Why yes, he comes here quite often. And I know for sure that he's got his eyes set on her."

Athena could sense some bitterness from the man. "Do…is she important to you?"

"Is she important to me?! What kind of question is that?! She's my girlfriend!"

"G-g-GIRLFRIEND?!" Athena exclaimed.

"But then…you…you know that she and him are…" Apollo sputtered. _Does he __not__ realize his girlfriend is cheating on him?! _

He sighed. "Yes, it breaks my heart to think that she could betray me like this, but…I will wait for her. I know that she will soon see that she only needs me!"

Athena shook her head. _Gee…this guy seems really taken on her. What a shame things had to end up this way. _

She smiled at him a little. "So she'll be here tomorrow?"

"She sure will be! But sadly, I won't."

"Then we will be back tomorrow," Simon responded. Athena had noticed that he was quite interested in this whole affair thing, but why, she had no idea.

As the four of them walked away, Athena and Apollo spoke to each other. "Should we confront Mr. Wright first?"

Apollo considered the idea. "Mm…no. I think we should confront her first. Once we do, then we can nab Mr. Wright."

Athena nodded. Sounds good. She couldn't wait for tomorrow. She glanced over at Iris. _I can't believe the two of them would do something so…horrible to Iris. What did she ever do to them?! _

Simon noticed how Widget was now bright red. _Hm…Athena must be thinking about this affair. I never pegged Wright-dono as being one who would do such a thing, but…I don't really know him that well anyway. _

Iris had been quiet throughout the whole trip. _Why Feenie? Why did you do this? Why couldn't you have just broken up with me? _She fought off the tears that were desperately seeking to leak out of her eyes. She didn't want tomorrow to come nor did she want to be there for the confrontation.

…**I have nothing to say here. *Hides under the table.* Except for please feel free to leave a review or private message me. Thanks!**


	18. Turnabout Confrontations

**This wasn't a hard chapter to write, but I don't know how well it came out. Hope you guys like it!**

******_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Ace Attorney series characters!_**

OT Chapter 18 – Turnabout Confrontations

"Wait. So let me get this straight. There's a badger loose on the floor?"

"Yes."

"Did you see which way it went?"

"It looked like it was headed down the hall towards your office."

"And what exactly did it look like?"

"It was pink."

"Pink? You saw a pink badger? How is that possible?! Badgers aren't pink!"

"Oh! I didn't mean a real badger! I mean the police department's mascot."

"Oh no. Not that badger. Those things creep me out." Serena sighed heavily, running a hand through her hair. "Alright. Let me know if something comes up. I'll have to go look for this 'badger' myself."

Serena walked off down the hall, searching along the way for any sign of the thing. "Hello? Badger? Where are you?" She rolled her eyes. _This is pathetic. I'm walking around looking for a person dressed up as a badger._

She was near her office, so she opened the door and took a quick peek inside. "Badger?" Nothing.

She turned around, only to find herself facing the menacing thing. Her right hand flew to hold her chest. "Oh! My goodness! Um…hello Pink Badger." It didn't do anything, its black, pupil-less eyes staring her down, devoid of any emotion, save for the simple smile, which Serena found rather ominous. The doctor gulped. "Well, you see…I was actually looking for you. I'm very sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave the department. It's only because there's been a slight bit of disturbance with the patients in seeing you. Please don't take any offense." The badger still didn't say anything.

_Oh no! I must've offended it! I mean her! No, him! Ugh!_

She thought of reasons why the Badger would be there, and immediately became concerned. "But of course, if you aren't feeling well and/or would like to be seen, we'd be more than happy to have look and help you out once you get registered at the front desk."

Next thing she knew, the Badger was making a grab at her. "Ah!" She shrieked, quickly dodging out of the way. Seeing that the mascot was intent on getting a hold of her, she began running down the other hallway which didn't go past any of the patients' rooms, but led to the waiting room.

* * *

"I cannot believe I got attacked by a Pink Badger," Serena grumbled as she trudged down the hall.

_But I could've sworn the voice I heard yelling from inside that costume was one I heard before…but then again, I couldn't hear it that well._

She was not having a good day. After her little run in with the Badger, which ended with it getting escorted out of the building by a security officer, a certain doctor had been badgering her about this new restaurant that had opened somewhere in town and how he thought it'd be the perfect place for the two of them to go. After that, he was so distracted that patients were beginning to complain about the wait time, causing Serena to have to go and apologize to them for the inconvenience. Finally, the ER was quiet with only a few patients there.

All she wanted to do now was sit in her office in peace and quiet for at least five minutes, if not more. "This day could not get any worse."

Turning the corner, a group of four people came into view. "Oh!" She stopped mid-step, her eyes landing on each person as she greeted them. "Apollo. Iris. Athena…" Her eyes widened a little. "P-prosecutor Blackquill. Er…what a surprise!"

_Why are Athena, Apollo and Prosecutor Blackquill glaring at me?! Wait. Prosecutor Blackquill __always__ glares at me. But what about them?_

"Uh…is…something…wrong?" Silence. This situation was getting even more awkward as time went by. "Well, um…how are you guys doing today? Does one of you need to be seen, because I'll be more than happy t-"

"Enough jabbering!"

Serena shut her mouth immediately, leaning back. "Er…"

"Admit it, Serena. We're onto you. You don't need to hide it."

"Admit what? What am I hiding?" _Hiding the fact that you're freaking me out right now, although I'm sure that's obvious. _

"We know your secret. Now just tell us."

"Secret? What secret?" She was getting more confused.

Next thing she knew, an object was coming towards her. She ducked, then looked down at the ground. It was a feather. "Speak before I make you," Simon threatened.

"P…please! I have no idea what any of you are talking about!"

Athena held up her fists. "Serena! How could you betray Iris like that?!"

"Betray Iris? Seriously! What are you guys talking about?!" She asked exasperatedly.

"Like we said, we know your secret. "We know about you and…" Athena waved her hands in the air.

"Me and what?"

"What Athena's trying to say is that we know that you're having an affair with Mr. Wright."

"WHAT?!" Serena cried out. She could feel her face turn really red. "A-affair?! With Mr. Wright?!"

"So it's true!" Apollo pointed an accusing finger at her.

Serena shook her head along with her hands. "No, no! It's not! What gave you that crazy idea?!"

"Apollo saw him go to your apartment! And the doctor told us about how Mr. Wright comes to visit you here!" Athena alleged. "And speaking of that doctor, how could you cheat on your boyfriend like that?! You should be ashamed of yourself!"

Serena considered everything they had just told her. "Now hold on a second there. Which doctor told you about all of this?" Serena had a good hunch who it was.

Athena went to answer. "His name was…what was it?"

Apollo answered. "Dr. Emilio."

"Him. Of course, it was him." Serena huffed. "Here's one piece of advice. Take everything that man says with a grain of salt. Now, let me make a couple of things very clear." She counted off on her fingers. "First of all, Mr. Wright and I are not dating." She looked at Iris, who had been silent ever since she got there. "I would never, ever do something like that to you, Iris."

She turned to the trio. "Second of all, Mr. Wright isn't the one who's coming in here to visit me. That's Mr. Edgeworth."

"So you're having an affair with Mr. Edgeworth!" Athena was quick to accuse.

"No! I am not having an affair with Mr. Edgeworth! I'm not having an affair with anyone! Now, if I may continue, third of all, I'm not dating any lawyer. I am definitely, absolutely, positively not dating Dr. Emilio. I don't know what kind of fantasies he may have swirling around in his head, but we are not an item. Lastly, I'm not dating anyone! I am single, and not ready to mingle."

The group was quiet before Athena said meekly, "Sorry."

Serena sighed, running a hand through her hair and keeping it there. "It's fine. As sad as it is to say, I've had…worse things happen lately." She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "But what's all this about Mr. Wright having an affair?"

Apollo and Athena took turns explaining the situation to her, and she listened to them. "Well, this is just me, but I highly doubt Mr. Wright is the kind of person who would cheat on his girlfriend."

"Yeah, but Apollo had us clearly convinced he was having an affair. Nice going, Apollo!"

"What?! Just because I suggested it doesn't mean you had to accept it so quickly!"

"Come on, you two. There's no need to argue." Serena leaned against the wall. "So he won't tell you anything?"

Iris shook her head. "No, he won't." She glanced up at the doctor. "Serena. What would you do?"

Serena frowned, rubbing her neck a little. "Me? Well, if I were in that situation, I would probably ask him about it again." She spoke directly to Iris. "I know that's a hard thing to do, and I myself would hesitate in doing so, but you should confront him about it, Iris. Tell him how you feel about all of this and ask for a clear explanation instead of making assumptions."

"But what if he still won't tell me? He hasn't been willing to tell anyone about it, not even Trucy."

Serena considered the thought. "That…sounds difficult, but you should at least let him know how all of this making you feel. Be assertive. Communication is key to a good relationship." Serena shook her head a little having heard herself say that. "Goodness. I've been spending so much time with Sabrina, now I'm starting to sound like her."

"Hm…maybe, I could try that," Iris replied. "Thank you."

"We're really sorry about suspecting you like that," Athena apologized, and Apollo nodded with her.

Serena shrugged it off. "It's okay. I can…sort of see how you would come to that conclusion, but just keep in my mind what I said about Dr. Emilio."

"That's been noted. Thanks!"

She watched as the group walked away. _Dr. Emilio…Ugh. _Shaking her head, she entered her office, praying nothing else crazy would happen that day and that she wouldn't have to see the man any time soon.

* * *

"Cykes-dono. I…I can't do something like this."

"Why not?!" Athena whined.

"It's because of Wright-dono that you and I are free from what happened. I…it would be wrong of me to do something like this to the man."

After having left the ER, the group had went to a café to talk about what they would do. Well, Simon was really dragged by Athena to accompany them. Iris had been reluctant to face Phoenix that same day, and much to Athena's chagrin, she decided that she would confront him in the following days.

Apollo soon left too, mentioning that he had promised he and Trucy would hang out a little, leaving Simon and Athena at the café. Athena was unsuccessfully trying to get Simon to talk to Phoenix, and he had been successfully declining.

_Really? You choose __now__ of all times to become a softie?! Argh! I'm only asking you to threaten him into speaking!_

"Yes, I do Cykes-dono. Sorry, but I don't think this is something I can achieve." Athena's shoulders slumped, until she came up with another idea, standing up a little taller. "And don't even think about using Taka."

She groaned. _It's like he can read my mind. _

"As a matter of fact, I can, but that makes me a good boyfriend, doesn't it?"

She smirked. "Yeah, sure." She tapped her trusty sidekick. "Because Widget didn't say a word, right?" She sighed heavily, a huge frown on her face and shoulders falling once more.

Simon sighed, seeing how she was going to sulk around unless he did something. "How about this alternative? I'll go ask Wright-dono if there's something the matter?"

"You…you'd do that?" Athena asked, quite surprised.

He exhaled loudly. "If it'll get you to stop sulking around, then yes, I will."

"Oh Simon!" She hugged him. "You are a good boyfriend!"

He hugged her back, while rolling his eyes. _The things I do for love. _Nonetheless, the corners of lips curved upwards, knowing she was feeling better already.

* * *

_I don't need to be nervous! I need to be confident. Why did I even say I would do this?!_

Simon had stood in front of the door to Phoenix Wright's office for at least two minutes, having an internal debate.

_No. I must stop frittering away time. I need to just get this over and done with. _He knocked on the door and waited. He lifted his hand to knock again when it opened, revealing the spiky-haired, blue-clad attorney.

"Prosecutor Blackquill."

"Wright-dono."

The two men stood in silence, before Phoenix stepped aside. "Please, er…come in."

Simon walked into the office. He didn't remember it much, since it had been quite a while since he had stopped by the office. His eyes immediately landed on one of the desks. On it was a whole bunch of yellow smiley faces. A smiley face calendar was on the desk, little smiley faced trinkets, a mug with a smiley face on it and yellow pens in it.

"That, as you can probably tell, is Athena's desk."

Simon smirked. _Figures she would decorate her desk like that. _

He had sat down in front of Phoenix's desk, facing Phoenix himself. "Athena sent you here, didn't she?"

Simon just sat silently for a moment, before crossing his arms. "Wright-dono. I do not know what is going on here at this office, but I know one thing for sure. Something is very wrong." He saw Phoenix quirk an eyebrow, and he elaborated. "This place…" Simon motioned around him with his hands. "The word that one could use to describe it now is dull. It's dull and lifeless." He stared straight at the defense attorney. "Last time I was here, this office was thriving, full of life and happiness and light."

"And it's all my fault, right?"

Simon paused. "Not all your fault, but you are one person to blame, yes."

"If you're here to tell me that I need to tell everyone about whatever it is I'm hiding, then I'm afraid your words will be falling on deaf ears."

Simon couldn't help but slam on the desk in the similar fashion that he did in court. "Wright-dono," he began, his voice dark and his grey eyes shooting a sharp glare at Phoenix. "In case you haven't noticed, this whole agency is falling apart, right in front of your eyes." Leaning forward, he added, "Can you not see that everyone is being negatively impacted by the secret you are keeping?!"

Phoenix didn't answer.

_This is useless. __I__ need to stop jabbering._

Simon just stood up and headed to the door. Before seeing himself out though, he faced Phoenix once more.

"Take heed, Wright-dono. If you do not try to rectify this situation…" He shut his eyes. "I fear what will become of this place."

* * *

Phoenix sat in silence at his desk, Prosecutor Blackquill's warning echoing in his mind.

_He's right. I need to change things. I wish I could…but…_

He was so engrossed in his worries that he hadn't heard his office door open and shut. Only when the lights turned on did he realize he had company. He looked up, his blue eyes clashing with brown ones.

_She…she came back. But why…_

He stood up in awe. "I-Iris."

She didn't smile for him. She had a rather serious look on her face. She was here for something important.

"Feenie…we need to talk."

_She's going to break up with me, I just know it. How could I not see this coming?_

"Iris…"

"Wait. I…I need to do this," Iris said, knowing she needed to summon up courage. _If I don't do this now…our relationship will never be the same. _

"Have a seat then, Iris."

She accepted the offer. She stared at her lap for a couple of minutes. She had practiced what she'd wanted to say and how she was going to say it, but upon getting there, the moment she saw his blue eyes, she had forgotten everything. Taking in a deep breath, she shut her eyes, then opened them, lifting her head up to his face.

"Feenie. As I'm sure you can tell, the two of us have been having some…lack of communication issues." Phoenix nodded a little, and she continued. "I asked you once before what it was you were hiding, and you…" She didn't finish the sentence, because she knew she didn't need to. "After that, we haven't spoken properly to each other since. And…that needs to change."

She paused, collecting her thoughts. There was no turning back now. "Feenie. I know…whatever it is that you're hiding from everyone…it's hurting you." She looked into his eyes. "Deeply. And it's hurting us that you're keeping secrets from us. But what's more…" She gazed down at her lap. "Is that it's hurting me. I hate to see you in pain, Feenie. I hate that you're pushing me away. I…I understand that you need to keep a secret, and that's fine, but…I want you to know that I'm worried about you. Really worried."

With that, she was finished. She had had so much more she wanted to tell him, and she had planned to say it much more elegantly, but this was the best she could do now. Her eyes never left her lap.

Phoenix, on the other hand, stared at her incredulously. _I…never thought she would do something like this. She's really matured. It must've been really hard for her to confront me like this. Should I…should I…tell her? _

Iris was confused to see him smile at her. She was expecting him to yell at her and to tell her to go away.

So naturally, she never expected him to lean way over his desk to grab her face in his hands and kiss her senseless. She sighed happily at the feel of his lips pressing hers. It was the first time since he had yelled at her that she felt so at peace.

As he pulled away, he saw her smiling. Opening her eyes, she tilted her head to the right. "You…what…why did you…"

"You have no idea how wonderful it is to see you, nor how proud I am of you for talking to me about how you feel. I missed you so much, Iris. You have no idea."

"I missed you too, Feenie."

"I…I did some long thinking today, especially after a certain someone came into the office." Phoenix sat back down behind his desk, and he laced his fingers together. "I shouldn't have hidden things from you, of all people. I don't know why I did that, but I did, and I know I made you suffer. I'm sorry."

"Feenie. It's alright. I forgive you. I'm glad you're not mad at me, and you…don't need to tell me about it." She stopped when she saw Phoenix shake his head.

"No, Iris. I think it's about time you learned about this." He stood up, grabbing and pulling on his coat. He held out a hand to her. "Come on. There's…something I need to show you."

Iris glanced at his hand and carefully placed hers in it. Helping her up, he led her out of the office.

* * *

Iris was led to a familiar apartment building. "This is…where Serena lives."

"True, but she isn't the only one who lives here," Phoenix explained as they climbed into the elevator and went to the 7th floor. They passed by apartment number 705, Serena's apartment, and went to 707. Phoenix rapped his knuckles on the door.

"Come in," a voice called from behind. Iris didn't recognize it. He opened the door and led her inside.

"Ah…it's you. And I see you've brought someone with you."

"Yes. This is my girlfriend, Iris Fey."

"Yes. It's nice to finally meet you, Iris. I have heard nothing but wonderful things about you. I apologize for any trouble I caused you."

Iris didn't know what to say, so she nodded. She had no idea who this person was, although they seemed somewhat familiar.

Phoenix turned to Iris. "Iris. This is…"

**Who is it, you ask? Beats me. For those of you who are curious, half this mystery should be revealed in about two or three chapters (not sure if I told any of you that already). I'll try to update more. Please feel free to leave a review or private message me! Thanks!**


	19. Turnabout Filler

**Short chapter. Not that great, but it's necessary. **

**********_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Ace Attorney series characters!_**

Chapter 19 - Turnabout Filler (**Couldn't come up with a better name. Sorry!**)

"Girls. I thought you'd given up all of this already."

"Not a chance, Mr. Edgeworth! We won't rest until you've gone on at least one successful date!" Kay declared.

The Chief Prosecutor sighed heavily. The three young girls had come to his office, begging him to go out on yet another date.

"You'll like her, Mr. Edgeworth! She's just like you!" Trucy explained, trying to entice him.

"Just like me?" _Does such a human being even exist? _

Athena nodded before responding. "Yup! It took us a long time to find her, but we did it!"

"So pretty, pretty, pretty please with a cute little cherry on top, please come with us and go on this date?!"

Edgeworth desperately wanted to decline the offer, but seeing Trucy beg him so much, and the other two nodding their heads with her, he knew it would be awful of him to refuse.

_Goodness. I'm becoming rather soft. _

Clearing his throat, he sighed a little. "Alright. I suppose…one more date…can fit into my schedule."

He grimaced as all three squealed in delight. "Yes! Thanks Mr. Edgeworth! Now come on! Let's get going! Can't keep your date waiting!"

* * *

Her name was Tammy Keene, and she was a professor at Ivy University. An English professor with blue eyes and light brown hair.

"My name is Miles Edgeworth. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Hm, yes. Charmed," her uninterested voice replied.

_The least you could do is look up at me. _ He sat across from her.

"What is your profession?" She glanced up from her paper to give him a look over. "Judging from your attire, you appear to be…" She wrinkled her nose in disgust. "A butler?"

Edgeworth was indignant. _A…a butler?! Certainly I do not look like a butler!_ "I'm a prosecutor. Chief Prosecutor of Los Angeles, actually." He usually didn't like bringing up his title, but he felt the situation warranted it. _Hmph. Surely you didn't see that coming._

Indeed she didn't. Putting her papers down, she looked at him with interest. "Chief Prosecutor? I'm impressed. I've misjudged you."

"It's fine." _I've been mistaken for many things, but nothing like a butler! _"And you…you're an English professor, yes? At Ivy University?"

"Indeed I am."

"How do you know the girls?"

"You mean those ladies who came here with you? A friend of mine referred me to them. She said they wanted to set up a blind date for someone."

"I see. So…you're actually interested in dating then?"

She shrugged. "Aren't you?"

"Not particularly, no."

"Then why are you here? Did those girls force you on this date?"

"…Yes, they did. They can be…quite convincing."

She smirked. "Convincing, huh?" She snorted. "A real man can say no to anyone, including little girls."

He shot a glare at her. And to his surprise, she glared right back.

_Hmph. Does she really think she can beat __me__ at glaring? Not a chance. _His glare strengthened.

"Look, look!" Trucy exclaimed. "They're gazing into each other's eyes!"

"Yeah! They are! How sweet!"

Kay knew better though. "Actually, I think they're having a glaring contest. She better be ready to lose. No one beats Mr. Edgeworth at a glaring contest."

She did lose.

"Hmph." He crossed his arms. _As if anyone could beat me…well, there is one who beat me…_

"Well, this is great. They aren't even talking to each other!" Athena sighed.

They had ordered drinks already, him a cup of tea and her, an iced coffee. They sat there silently for a while, until Tammy spoke up. "Do you watch TV?"

_That's a rather random question. _"Not often. Do you?"

"Not much." A song began playing in the café. "Oh! This is the_ A Ninja Marked for Death's Lullaby_. From the Jammin' Ninja!" She seemed quite pleased at hearing the song.

Edgeworth's eyebrows popped up. "You watch The Jammin' Ninja then?" She nodded and asked him if he did. "Hmph. No. I don't really see what the appeal is for that show."

She frowned. "Well, you must admit it's much better than that the Stale Samurai show or whatever it's called."

_Stale Samurai?! _"That's the Steel Samurai," he corrected her. "And I beg to differ. The Jammin' Ninja uses music to attack his enemies, while the Steel Samurai depends on his own skills to take down his enemies." (**AN: I don't know if it is true that the Jammin' Ninja uses music to attack enemies, but for the sake of the story, let's assume that's true!**)

"I beg your pardon! It takes real skill to use music as an attack! I can't imagine that top knot being able to embrace music and utilize it like the Jammin' Ninja can! All he does is wave around that weapon."

_Top knot?! How dare she?! I cannot allow the Steel Samurai to be insulted in my presence! _"He doesn't wave it around. It's an art!" He stated firmly.

"What are they doing?" Kay asked.

"They seem to be having a very deep discussion! Look at them! They're leaning closer and closer to each other!"

"Oh! I wish we could hear their voices," Athena stated, wanting to hear their emotions.

"I think it's working you guys! Just think! Tammy Edgeworth. Oh, what a perfect name!" Trucy had looked away for a moment, and turning back to the couple, she squealed. "Oh! Maybe they're going to kiss now!"

Oh, there was a kiss alright. The three of them watched as Tammy's cup filled with iced coffee 'kissed' the prosecutor's head and went dripping all over his suit.

"That…"

"Went…"

"Well."

Tammy gathered her belongings and stood up. "Whatever you may say, the Jammin' Ninja is so much better than the Steel Samurai. And for the record, I never was impressed with you being a prosecutor! Given your obvious lack of good taste, you might as well have been a butler!" With that, she marched out of the café.

_What an arrogant woman. To say __I__ have no taste. It's obvious she is the one with no taste. _

Trucy, Athena and Kay watched as the Chief Prosecutor left some money on the table and came over to them. "Girls. This is the third date I've gone on. Obviously, as you can surely tell, this whole dating thing isn't working out."

"But Mr. Edgeworth," Kay interjected, but he continued.

"Kay, please. I really, truly do appreciate the concern all of you have for me, but it seems to me that maybe I'm not…destined to be with anyone."

The girls frowned. "But like I said, I am very thankful for the effort you've put into doing all of this for me. I know for a fact that what you've been doing wasn't easy. And I'll admit I didn't make things easy on you either." He bowed. "Thank you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must get going and see what I can do about this…mess."

* * *

"I cannot believe I just went to the mall. I never go to the mall."

"Come on! It can't have been that bad!"

"Bad? A place filled with clothing stores, unhealthy food and loads of people?! It was like a living nightmare!"

"You need to appreciate what you have here! Back home, our mall is a quarter of the size of this one!"

"I'm sorry, but I don't think I will ever appreciate the mall, Sabrina."

"You seriously need to get out more, Rena! There's so much going on in the world, and with you staying all cooped up in your apartment, you're letting everything go right past you!"

"Hey. I don't stay cooped up in my apartment all of the time."

"Work doesn't count, Rena. You should be more like me! Be adventurous and fun!"

Serena sighed. "I don't think I'm capable of that Sabrina." Serena and her best friend were walking down the street after having gone to the mall. Her eyes searching the streets aimlessly, Serena noticed someone quite familiar heading towards them.

Edgeworth had used a whole bunch of napkins to try and clean himself up, but there was still a large stain from the iced coffee. Now he was walking back to the Prosecutor's Office when he saw the two of them.

Upon seeing him, Sabrina snorted, and soon she couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Sabrina! Don't be rude!" Serena shook her head. "Are you okay, Mr. Edgeworth? What happened?!"

"Ahem. Ms. Sterling. Ms. Reece. I…was…on a date."

Sabrina had finally controlled her laughter. "Oh. It seems like you and dating don't really get along with each other, do you?"

Edgeworth crossed his arms, looking to his side. "Hmph. So it would seem."

Sabrina sighed wistfully. "I guess not all of us are lucky enough to have someone pining after them like Ms. Doctor here does."

Serena rolled her eyes. "Seriously. Can you please just drop it already?" One of her hands went to hold her head. "Just thinking about it is giving me a headache."

"People would kill to have someone love them like that guy loves you, Rena."

"I wouldn't really call what he feels for me love, Sabrina. It's more like an infatuation." Now she crossed her arms and pressed her lips together to form a thin line. "An annoying infatuation, I might add."

_She must be referring to that odd doctor who she works with. _He took a look at his watch. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to the office and…attempt to clean this up."

Serena smiled sympathetically. "See you, Mr. Edgeworth." They walked away.

"Good luck getting those stains out of your cravat!"

"Sabrina!" Serena reprimanded.

* * *

"Soon. My desire for revenge shall be fulfilled soon."

**Looks like the girls failed at getting Edgeworth a decent date. Again…oh well. Kind of a short chapter. A filler, really. I needed to put in this chapter before the next one because the next chapter…is a little…upsetting, to say the **_**very**_** least. I'll try to get it up here soon, but it might take me a while…Writing it is going to be hard. But anyway, feel free to leave a review or private message me! Thanks! (I promise half the mystery will be cleared up with the next chapter! And two people's secrets will be revealed. I'm sure you know who I mean!)**


	20. Turnabout Sorrow

**This proved to be a very hard chapter to write. Not because of the content (although that was hard), but more so trying to convey the emotions properly. It could be much better, I'm sure, but this is the best I can do. I'd say enjoy…but…well…please don't hate me for this. **

**I'm dedicating this chapter to a certain someone who's been dying to read it. You know who you are!**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Ace Attorney series characters!**_

*****WARNING: There is a character death in this chapter. Proceed with caution!*****

Chapter 20 – Turnabout Sorrow

Serena was working the evening shift in the ER at the main hospital. There weren't many patients there that evening, much to her relief, since she had a semi-critical patient already in her care. She entered the room where this patient was.

"How are you feeling right now?"

"As good as I can, I suppose."

Serena nodded, her eyes on the monitor. The patient was in stable condition. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Actually…there is…something." The patient waited a moment. "Would…you be able to call…Mr. Wright for me?"

"Mr. Wright? As in Phoenix Wright, the defense attorney?"

"Yes. Do you know of him, Dr. Sterling?"

"Yes…he's…a friend. So you'd like me to call him for you?"

"Yes. Tell him I'm at the hospital."

"Alright. I will."

(Line)

At the Wright Anything Agency, all three defense attorneys were there, along with Trucy and Iris. Apollo was writing in his journal, Athena was looking up something on Widget, Iris and Trucy were talking on the couch, and Phoenix was watering Charley.

_It's been a while since the agency was like this. It's nice, having everyone here…together. _He first looked at Apollo, then Athena, and finally, and Iris and Trucy. He smiled, until he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket.

"Hello. This is Phoenix Wright….Hey Serena. What's wrong?" Phoenix's smile disappeared in an instant. The others stopped what they were doing, and an ominous silence fell. "Really?! Okay. I'll get there as soon as possible." He hung up and went into his office to grab his coat.

Iris followed him. "Feenie! What's wrong?"

"It's…you-know-who. In the hospital."

Iris's eyes widened. "Is everything okay?"

"I'm not sure." Phoenix walked out of the office room. "Hey you guys. We…have someone we need to go visit."

"Who is it, Boss?"

"Yeah, Daddy! Who is it?!"

Phoenix shook his head. "You'll see soon enough. Now come on." Everyone filed out of the building, Athena being the last one.

_Mr. Wright…he's worried and scared. What could be the matter?! And who are we visiting?_

* * *

They all exited the elevator, walking into the emergency room. Phoenix walked up to the nurse's station.

"Sir. Can I help you?" One of the nurses asked.

"Yes. I'm here to se-"

"Mr. Wright."

He turned to see Serena. "Where is she?!"

Serena pointed down the hall. "The door on the right side. Just knock when you go in. And let me know if you need anything. I'll be coming in there to do a quick check-up soon."

He nodded and walked towards the room. He turned around in front of the door. "You guys. I want all of you to stay out here unless and until I tell you to come in." His eyes fell on Iris. "Except you, Iris. I want you to come in with me."

She nodded. With that, the two of them knocked on the door, entered the room, and shut the door behind them.

"Who could be in there?!" Apollo asked, eager to know.

"Who knows?"

"Apparently, Mr. Wright and Iris do," Athena answered.

* * *

"They're here."

"They…are?"

"Yes. Right outside that door, probably wondering who you are?"

"…"

"Can…I bring them in?"

"…Y-yes. I can no longer put this off."

"Would you like to speak with them…alone?"

"I-if you wouldn't mind."

"I won't. Come on, Iris."

Phoenix popped his head out of the door. "Apollo. Trucy. You two need to come in here. There's someone I want you to see."

Phoenix stepped out of the room, followed by Iris. Apollo and Trucy exchanged confused glances, but shrugging, they went into the room.

"Mr. Wright. Who's in there?!" Athena hated being left out in the dark.

Phoenix hesitated, but felt a hand on his arm. It belonged to Iris. "You need to tell her, Feenie."

"Athena…"

* * *

"Lamiroir?!" Apollo ran over to the bed, taking a seat on the nearby chair. "What happened?! Are you alright?" It had been over a year since they had last seen the famous "Landscape Painter in Sound."

"Apollo. Trucy. Yes, I'm fine, just a little sick is all." The woman's eyes floated up to Trucy, who just stared at her very intently.

_She seems…different. Somehow. I feel like…I know her from long ago._

"Trucy. Please, have a seat."

Slowly, Trucy sat on the other side of the bed. Lamiroir asked them little questions, like how they were doing and what was going on in their lives, which they answered honestly.

"Do…the two of you know why you're here…to see me?"

Apollo and Trucy stared at each other before Apollo spoke up. "Because we know you?"

"Y-yes. You know me…as Lamiroir. But…I am not actually Lamiroir."

"You…aren't?"

"That is a name many know me by, but it isn't my real name." Her eyes caught sight of something. "Tell me, Apollo. That bracelet…where did you get it from?"

It was an out-of-the-blue question, but Apollo's hand instinctively went to his bracelet. "This?" He looked away. "My…mom gave it to me, when I was…young."

"You don't remember anything about her, do you?" Apollo shook his head. Up until that point, her right hand was concealed, under the covers. She took it out and wrapped it around Apollo's wrist. "Apollo," she said gently.

He heard Trucy let out a gasp. He glanced down at his hand, only to let out a gasp of his own. Around her right hand was a bracelet that was identical to his. He then lifted his head to look into a pair of warm blue eyes.

Her other hand clasped Trucy's wrist. "Trucy. Allow me to reintroduce myself to you both." She took a deep breath in. "My name…is Thalassa Gramarye." She gave them a small smile, looking at each of them. "I'm…your mother."

"M-m-mommy," Trucy stated, finally realizing why the woman seemed so familiar to her. "You…you found your way back!" The young magician hugged her mother tightly, tears streaming out of her eyes. "I can't believe you're here! I missed you so much!"

Thalassa returned the hug, despite feeling weary. She opened her eyes and gazed at Apollo. Pulling away, she spoke to him. "Apollo…"

Apollo didn't know what to say. _All this time…I thought she was gone…but, she was alive. _His eyes then landed on Trucy. _And Trucy…she's…she's my…little sister. _

"Polly! What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?!" Trucy giggled. "Now you really are my big, little brother!" He was mute. "Apollo?"

They watched as he stood up. "Um…excuse me…" He turned his back to them and made his way to the door.

Trucy noticed that Thalassa was frowning. "Don't worry, Mommy! He'll be fine! He just needs a little time to digest everything." But even Trucy was a little worried about Apollo. _I hope he's okay…_

* * *

Athena stood in stunned silence. Phoenix had just finished explaining everything to her, how he had been approached by Thalassa a while ago, her expressing her desire to reveal the truth of her identity to Apollo and Trucy, and how she had begged him to keep her secret until she was ready to face them.

_So that's why Mr. Wright has been sneaking behind our backs. It all makes so much sense now!_

They all turned around when Apollo came out of the room. He looked at each person, and his eyes finally fell on Phoenix. Apollo glared at him.

"Apollo, I-" Phoenix began, knowing that he was going to get fried by Apollo.

"You knew, didn't you? You knew that she was my mother…when I took on that case."

Phoenix sighed in defeat. It was inevitable to deny it. He nodded. "I did."

Apollo shook his head slowly. "How could you, Mr. Wright? How could you not tell me? After all this time!"

"Apollo, I wanted to tell you, but-"

"No! I can't believe you would keep this from me for all of this time! I trusted you!" Apollo faced the hallway. "Just…leave me alone, okay?"

"Apollo!" Phoenix called out. But Apollo didn't listen. He walked away.

"Feenie, give him time. He needs to adjust to this."

_Apollo. You sound…so emotionally distressed. I wish I could I help you, somehow. _

Serena approached them. "Is everything okay? I just saw Apollo storm out of here and into the elevator."

"Yes, everything's…alright."

She looked at the group doubtfully. "Okay then."

Trucy rushed out of the room suddenly. "Something's going on! Those machines in there just started to make noises!"

"What?!" They exclaimed.

Serena barged into the room, and after a moment, she popped her head out, and yelled out loud. "I need help in here, now!"

A couple of nurses and technicians ran into the room. Serena spoke to the group. "I have to ask you guys to stay out here for the time being."

Shutting the door behind her, she leaped into action, giving out orders to her coworkers. "Come on! She's not stable! We've got to work quickly!"

She helped set up another IV bag and connected it to Thalassa, but it didn't seem to be helping the situation.

"Dr. Sterling…" Thalassa began weakly. Serena stopped and looked down at her. "Please…thank Mr. Wright and Iris for me, and…tell Apollo and Trucy…that…their mother loves them very much. And always will."

_M-mother?! Is she…their mother?! _Serena held the woman's hand for a moment. "Ms. Gramarye! Please! Hold on! You'll be able to do all of that yourself!"

The woman smiled faintly, shaking her head a little. "I'm…afraid…I won't. I…waited…too long."

Serena got back to work, trying to get her condition to stabilize. Until she heard it. The monotone, continuous beep which made everyone in the room freeze, including her. Her eyes darted to the monitor. Flatline.

"Start CPR! Someone get the pharmacist in here, stat!" She ordered.

CPR was administered, as were numerous drugs. Serena did chest compressions, until someone spoke to her.

"Dr. Sterling…Dr. Sterling?"

She shot the speaker a glare. "What?!"

"Have you checked the time?"

Serena's eyes darted to the clock, and she stopped mid-compression. 15 minutes had passed. Her eyes fell to the motionless woman in the bed. For an instant, she could've thought she saw someone else in that bed.

_No…Not again._

She quietly asked, "Does someone have the certificate?"

"Yes."

Serena nodded her head. "Get this down: 17:45:00…"

"Dr. Sterling. Would you like us to go tell…"

"No." Serena took off her glasses and sighed, rubbing her hand over her face. "I'll…do this. Myself."

She slipped out of the room, only to see all of them stand up and looked expectantly at her.

"I…" She shook her head. "I'm sorry," she said softly. She had her head down.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Phoenix asked, the impending doom feeling coming to him.

"She's…gone," the doctor whispered.

Trucy shook her head. "No…" She backed away from them.

"Trucy," Phoenix began, reaching out to her.

"No…no…NO!" She ran off down the hall.

"TRUCY!" Everyone cried out.

"Serena? Where does that hall lead?" Iris asked calmly.

"It leads to an area outside, a garden. It isn't an exit though."

Iris nodded. "I'm going to go after her."

"Iris…" Phoenix spoke up. "Maybe I-"

She shook her head. "I…think I should take care of this." She then ran off in the direction Trucy had gone.

Now in the hallway stood Phoenix, Athena and Serena.

"I…I need to go find Apollo and tell him," Phoenix said quietly, and he left.

Serena banged her head on the wall she was leaning against. "I can't believe this happened!"

"Serena."

"First Thomas, now her."

_She's in a lot of pain. _

Clearing her throat, Serena excused herself, leaving Athena to stand in the hall outside the room.

_Poor Apollo and Trucy. They finally meet their mother, only to have her ripped away from them. _She wrapped her arms around herself, her own mother coming to mind. _I can sort of relate to that feeling._

* * *

Outside in the garden, Iris found Trucy sobbing in the corner amongst an overgrowth of plants.

"Trucy?" Iris called out. "Are you okay?"

The young magician turned around and saw the woman. "I…Iris…" She sniffled. She hastily wiped her tears. "I'm fine."

Upon finding out that Trucy and Apollo were half-siblings, Iris began noticing the similarities between the two of them. One particular thing was just as Apollo had his two horns, Trucy had to very miniscule horn-like hairs sticking up from her head, which could only be seen when she wasn't wearing her magician's hat. And they both always claimed that they were fine (Apollo more often than Trucy), even when they actually weren't.

"Trucy." Iris walked over to her. Trucy had turned away. "Trucy…I know it's hard for you. To have learned everything all of a sudden, and then for this to happen." Trucy still didn't respond. "But you don't need to suffer alone. Your Daddy is here for you, Athena's here for you. There's Apollo, Juniper…and…" Iris paused for a moment. "You have me too."

Trucy turned her head so that she could see Iris. Trucy then began to walk over to her before she ran into the woman's arms, sobbing heavily as she clutched onto the woman's robes tightly.

Iris wrapped her arms around the young girl and rocked her gently. "Trucy, honey. It's alright. Let out all of your tears."

"I-it's just that…I-I thought M-m-mommy was gone, after she d-disappeared. I d-didn't think I-I'd see her again!"

"Trucy…" Iris waited patiently for her to continue.

"I-I wish…I had…more time…with her. To…talk to her…and just, just be with her."

"I know, Trucy. I know. But…at least you were able to see her when she was Lamiroir, and when you and Apollo worked on that case together."

"How am…I going to get over…this?" Trucy asked between sobs.

"Just remember all of your happiest moments you had with her. I know there probably weren't many, but focus on them. I won't say not to be sad that she's gone, but…you should try to be happy with the fact that you were able to spend time with her."

Trucy nodded against Iris's chest. After a couple more minutes of crying, Trucy let go of Iris and wiped her eyes. "Thank you."

Iris took out her purple handkerchief and wiped off Trucy's face before holding it in her hands affectionately. "I'm always here for you, Trucy. Never forget that."

"I know, and I won't." They were both quiet for a minute, the sounds of cars on the road and an ambulance approaching the hospital coming from below them. "Um…Iris?" She asked shyly.

"Yes?"

"Since…since mommy is gone…can I…can I…" Iris nodded, motioning for the teen to continue. "Can I call you mommy?!"

Iris didn't expect Trucy to say that. "You…want…to call me Mommy?" Trucy nodded.

Iris remembered what Thalassa had told her.

(Flashback)

Iris was alone with Thalassa. Ever since Phoenix had introduced the two, Iris went over to visit Thalassa every week, especially when Phoenix couldn't make it. One day, on one of her visits, Thalassa had told Iris something very important.

"Ms. Fey."

"Please. Call me Iris."

"Iris. I...you know about my…condition."

"Yes."

"I…won't be in this world for much longer. Three months, is how long they say I have before I am permanently plunged into the darkness. I…hope you do not mind my making a request."

"No, not at all. Please do!" Iris wanted to help the woman as much as she could.

"Trucy…and Apollo. They both…have grown up without their mother or anyone they could call their mother." Blue eyes stared into brown ones. "I want you to change that."

"I…I don't understand."

"When I finally leave this world, Iris, I…would like you to take my place…no. I'd like you to become their mother." Thalassa had turned away. "I never was a mother to them. To either of them."

"No! That's not true! You were and are their mother! I…I can't replace you, Ms. Gramarye. I never can and will, which makes your request a little difficult; however, I'll do my best to try and become a mother for them, just as I'm sure you would've been had the circumstances not been what they were."

(End Flashback)

That was Thalassa's final request of Iris. She wanted her to be a mother to Apollo and Trucy, and she was more than willing to do that. Apollo would be difficult, but Trucy… "Um…if…that's what you want, then I'll be more than happy to accept that title."

A hint of a smile appeared on Trucy's face, but she once more buried her face into Iris, her tears far from over.

* * *

"Apollo! Come back here!" Phoenix ran after Apollo. He had found him at People Park, of all places, near the lake.

"Mr. Wright! I just…ugh! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU WOULD HIDE SOMETHING LIKE THIS FROM ME!" He yelled out loud, his voice echoing around them.

"I'm sorry Apollo! But you have to know…she's…she's gone, Apollo."

"What are you talking about?"

"She's…gone. As in she…" Phoenix stopped. "She passed away," he finished quietly.

Apollo began to cry. It was a rare, but heart-wrenching sight for Phoenix. Apollo was always so strong, and Phoenix had never, ever seen Apollo cry before. Phoenix reached out to touch him, but he moved away. "No. Don't touch me. I…I'm fine."

"No you're not Apollo. And I don't blame you. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you. I wanted to tell you, I really did. But…Thalassa…she wanted to wait until the time was right."

"So she waited until the day she died?" Apollo asked bitterly, wiping the tears from his eyes fiercely.

Phoenix winced. "She loved you very much, Apollo. I know you'd find that hard to believe, but she really did. She was just worried how you would react to learning the truth." Apollo didn't say anything. "She feared you would reject her, because she had to leave you all alone, to grow up without a mother or a father."

"Why did she leave me then? Why did she have to leave me all alone?!" It was a question that haunted him for years. Why did his own mother leave him behind? He never could come up with a good reason, although he knew that was probably because he didn't truly believe there was a good reason.

"She had no other choice, Apollo. She did it to protect you."

"Protect me?! How?"

"Thalassa's father, your grandfather, Magnfi, he was…a rather brutal man. He was obsessed with the fame he was receiving with Troupe Gramarye. She knew that…if she brought you back to the troupe with her, your life would be miserable. That rather than live a normal childhood, which is what she wanted for you, you'd be raised to become another magician in Troupe Gramarye."

The idea wasn't very appealing to Apollo, but he wasn't done arguing yet. "Then why didn't she stay with me?"

"Because she also knew that if she stayed, Magnfi would still managed to have found her and bring the two of you back." Phoenix sighed. "She left you to give you the best chance in this world, to be free from the world she grew up in. You don't understand, Apollo. Troupe Gramarye may have appeared to be a wonderful, magical group, but behind the scenes, it was dark and conflicted. I learned that myself. She wanted to protect you from that, because she cared for you a lot."

Apollo was silent. He had his back facing Phoenix, who noticed him shaking a little. "A-apollo?" Phoenix took a step forward. He then walked right behind him, turned the younger defense attorney, and pulled him into his arms.

And that's when Apollo broke down in tears. "I'm sorry, ! I'm sorry!"

"Why are you sorry, Apollo?"

"I…I've been keeping secrets from you. I…I was trying to find out more about my family, specifically, my mom. Mr. Huntley said he had information about her. That's why I met with him. I should've told you about it, but I didn't want to hurt your feelings, or anyone's."

"It's alright, Apollo. I forgive you. Don't feel sorry. It's only natural that you'd want to learn about your real family. But you've got to remember that even if we aren't blood-related, we're a family too. The Wright Anything Agency family."

Apollo nodded. Phoenix continued holding onto to him as he cried into the night.

**I **_**HATE**_** myself for writing this chapter, but I feel like this is something that could potentially happen. And it's part of the plot. As for the whole Troupe Gramarye and the reason why Thalassa left Apollo behind, this was sort of the headcanon I had. I wish we could find out why she really left him, though. **

**I hope you guys don't hate me for this chapter! Please feel free to leave a review or private message me. Thanks!**


	21. Turnabout Threat

**Gosh, this chapter proved to be tough to write! I know how the story is going to go, but writing these kinds of chapters gets difficult. Hopefully, I didn't mess it up too bad! Enjoy!**

**__****Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Ace Attorney series characters!**

**Background: It's been one week since Thalassa's passing (May she rest in peace). **

Chapter 21 – Turnabout Threat

Edgeworth once more found himself at the front desk of the ER in the afternoon, speaking to the receptionist. "Ah, Mr. Edgeworth. You're here to see Dr. Sterling?"

"Yes I am."

Tina popped her head in the window. "You're out of luck. Dr. Sterling isn't here, I'm afraid. She's out on a date with Dr. Emilio."

"She is?!"

"I knew it!" Tina pointed a finger at him. "Even you're shocked, and you don't even know her that well!"

"What do you mean?" He asked, trying to feign nonchalance.

"You reacted the way we all did when we heard." Tina crossed her arms. "She's been acting pretty strange for the past week now. I don't know what happened. But he asked her out to a party yesterday, right here in the nurse's station. We were all expecting her to reject him, for the 175th time, and yes, I've been keeping track." She pulled out a piece of paper full of tally marks, waving in front of her. "And she said yes! Either she's gone insane, or she's gone crazy."

"Those are both the same thing," Edgeworth pointed it.

She nodded. "Exactly, meaning there's no other explanation. She's gone mad!"

"Right…anyway, when she returns, I'd greatly appreciate it if you'd tell her that I had stopped by and had something to discuss with her."

"Sure! No problem! Have a nice day."

_Well, that's surprising. _Given what she had told him about her coworker, he thought she was rather annoyed by his constant pursuit of her.

(Flashback)

It was a couple of weeks ago. She was leading him down to her office, all while talking to Tina over the radio. "Who left these red tulips in front of my office?" She had asked when she spotted a huge vase right at her office door.

"Guess who?" The voice on the other side taunted

"Oh no," Serena groaned, shutting her eyes and shaking her head.

"Oh yes! Your not-so-secret admirer, Dr. Emilio." Tina giggled in the background. "You do know what red tulips mean, don't you Dr. Sterling?"

Serena frowned. "I wish I didn't. Anyway, I'll talk to you later." She picked up the flowers and set them on one of the tables in her office.

"That doctor seems to be quite taken on you, Ms. Sterling."

"Honestly, I hate to complain about a fellow coworker, but he's been getting on my nerves. He just can't take no for an answer." She sighed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be whining to you about my insignificant little problems. Let's get to work."

(End Flashback)

_I suppose he must've finally grown on her. _He himself could not say the same. The flirtatious doctor obviously held a huge grudge against him, as he had come to realize later on that same day as he was leaving the ER.

(Flashback)

"Listen here, Prosecutor." Dr. Emilio snarled at Edgeworth. "I don't like you."

_Hmph. I figured as much. _

Dr. Emilio smiled arrogantly. "You just watch. I'll win Serena's heart."

"Hmph. You speak as though we're actively competing with each other for the affections of Ms. Sterling. I am not, Dr. Emilio. I'm here strictly for business purposes. So you are free to pursue her as you wish. However," he crossed his arms. "I'd advise you to tone it down a bit. Your actions could be misconstrued as harassment." With that, he walked away.

(End Flashback)

_I hate to think this, but she lacks good taste in men. _Shaking his head, he went back to his office, where a ton of work was waiting for him.

* * *

At the Wright Anything Agency, things were a little awkward. While all of the secrets Phoenix and Apollo were keeping had been revealed and explained, Trucy and Apollo were both still quietly mourning Thalassa's death. She had passed away on a Saturday, and her funeral was held two days later, on Monday. Now, it was Sunday, just a little over a week since she had passed away.

Apollo and Trucy were both sitting on the couch together, silently. They hadn't really talked about Thalassa ever since she had passed away. Both of them had been gracefully avoiding the subject, but now, with the office empty, it seemed to be the perfect time for them to talk.

"Polly. I…have something I wanted to ask you."

He turned to Trucy, a smile on his face. "What is it, Trucy?"

She took off her top hat and started playing with it. "Do…you remember Mommy? From when you were younger?" She glanced at him. _Now that I think about it, I never really asked Polly about his family. Who would've thought we'd be siblings? _

Apollo sighed, placing his elbows on his knees and clasping hands. "Not really, Trucy. She…left…when I was a year old."

"And…what about your Daddy?"

He shook his head, looking away. "He passed away when I was born. He was apparently a stage performer."

Trucy was intrigued with that little tidbit. "A stage performer? Was he a magician?"

He shrugged. "Don't know. Maybe he was." He let out a small laugh. "That would mean I could have magician's blood flowing through me."

Trucy tilted her head then wagged her finger at him. "Dear Polly. I guess you didn't realize it, did you?" She giggled at Apollo's confused facial expression. "You have Gramarye blood flowing through you, Polly. So you do have magician's blood in you, just like me!"

Apollo raised his eyebrows. "You're…" He stopped to think. "Right."

"But you're more like Mommy. She was a magician's assistant."

"She…was?"

"Mmhm! She was awesome!" She frowned a little, remembering the day when she found out that her mommy had disappeared so many years ago.

Apollo stared at her. _She's my little sister. _He knew Trucy was being strong. He had heard that she ran out of the ER crying when she heard the bad news, but she didn't show any signs of being very upset. He knew better though. She was like him in that sense: she didn't like to show her sadness to anyone, but unlike him, she always had a bright, cheerful smile on her face.

Trucy abruptly looked up at him when she felt a warm arm wrap around her shoulder and pulled her close. "P-Polly?"

"It's alright to feel hurt, you know."

"I know," she said quietly. She cuddled closer to him. They rarely ever had moments like this together. Usually, Apollo would be helping Trucy with a magic trick, or she would be helping him with his investigation. They would pick on each other occasionally too (Trucy especially), but each had already begun to see the other as a sibling.

After learning that they really were siblings, they had actually been distant a little, not knowing what to say to the other. What exactly could you say? It wasn't every day that you learned one of your closest friends is actually your long-lost sibling.

"She'd want us to be happy, Trucy. To treasure the time we spent with her and keep her in our hearts." Apollo was surprised with himself. When the truth was revealed, he had felt bitter at first. Thalassa had left him behind, abandoned him, and he had to stay at the orphanage with no family.

He was angry at her for what she did. Even when Phoenix explained the situation, he wasn't satisfied. In his mind, he had refused to accept the reasoning behind her actions. But as he began thinking everything over, he gradually came to see how she really did do what's best for him.

He came to this revelation especially when he thought about what Trucy went through. Sure, she did get to spend more time with Thalassa then he did, and she had a father too, but she grew up with Troupe Gramarye. Thalassa was accidentally shot and soon disappeared. Then, her father got accused of murdering her grandfather, only to have Trucy help him disappear and leave her all alone, until Phoenix took her in. She'd been through a lot more than he had.

"But you barely got any time to spend with her, and I…don't even remember her that well."

"That's…true, but we got to spend time with her when she was Lamiroir, remember? We saw her singing on stage at the Gavinners' concert."

Trucy nodded, a smile appearing on her face. "I do remember. I even cried a little when I heard her sing."

Apollo chuckled. "Yeah, she had an amazing voice."

"And Prosecutor Gavin's guitar accompaniment was nice too."

"Yeah, he was okay, but she was the best."

"Mmhm. And don't forget Machi! His piano playing really complimented Mommy's singing."

Apollo nodded, and silence fell between them. His eyes searched around, until they fell on Trucy's wrist. Something was peeking out of her glove. "Hey Trucy. What's that in your glove?"

Trucy saw him pointing to her right hand. She pulled off her glove to reveal a bracelet. "It's Mommy's bracelet. She…gave it to me…before she…" Trucy stopped, her voice cracking a little.

"Trucy. You can cry, Trucy. It's just the two of us."

She let the tears run down her cheeks and soak Apollo's shirt. "I…I miss her, Polly," she whispered to him.

They had both been informed by Phoenix that she had some kind of terminal illness, but she was supposed to have three more months to live. She had contacted Phoenix, wanting to reunite with Trucy and Apollo and tell them the truth about everything. But she had also requested that he keep their meetings a secret from the two of them.

He hugged her tighter, laying his cheek on her head. "I miss her too, Trucy. I miss her too."

Things would never truly be the same between them, but at least they knew the truth now. They were family.

* * *

Edgeworth was exiting the Prosecutor's office that evening when he noticed a blonde-haired woman standing there near the entrance. "Miss Reece."

"Hey, it's you! Mr. Edgeworth! How ya doin'?"

"Well, thank you. And yourself?"

"Oh swell." She took out her phone. "Man. Still another hour before she gets back." She turned to him, smiling excitedly. "Did you know Rena's on a date?!"

"I've heard. With her coworker, correct?"

"Yes! I knew she liked him! It was just a matter of time! But…" She crossed her arms. "I didn't think she'd go out with him this quick, but then again, she's been acting kind of weird lately."

"Weird? Care to elaborate on that?"

She shrugged. "I don't know what it is, but she seems a bit…out of it. Distracted. Like something's bothering her. She won't tell me though. I'm kind of worried, actually. The way she acts, it's like she's got some hidden agenda or something." She was serious for a moment, and then she laughed, waving her hand. "Ha! As if she'd have a hidden agenda. She's the most boring person in this world…" Her smile disappeared. "But you didn't hear that from me!"

_A hidden agenda, hm?_

"Anyway, gotta jet. See ya!" The blonde haired girl walked away.

Edgeworth shook his head. _What an odd woman. _He then heard someone call out to him.

"Hey Edgeworth!"

He turned to see Phoenix running up to him with Iris right behind him. "Wright. Ms. Fey," he nodded his head at them.

"Edgeworth. I've got something I need to show you," Phoenix said urgently.

Edgeworth watched as the blue-suited man pulled out an envelope from his pocket. Opening it, there was a folded piece of paper in it.

"Check this out," he handed the paper to the prosecutor, who took it and read it aloud.

"Be careful about those who are precious to you, Phoenix Wright. Before you know it, they will disappear from the face of the Earth…Just like he did." Edgeworth looked from the note. "Who is this 'he' the note is referring to, Wright?"

Phoenix shrugged. "I don't know, Edgeworth. The only person I can think of…" Phoenix hesitated.

"Yes?"

"Is Zak Gramarye."

"Zak…Gramarye? Ah yes. That magician who disappeared during the trial."

Phoenix nodded. "I wanted you to see this. I'm…I'm a little worried about it. I want to think it's just a dumb note someone's sending me, but…"

"Hm…I can see the reason why you'd be concerned. I wouldn't take this note lightly. Where did you get this and when?"

"It was in the mailbox at my apartment complex, and I got it today in the afternoon."

"If I were you Wright, I'd make sure to warn Ms. Cykes, Mr. Justice and Trucy to be very cautious. And if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to keep this with me. I'll make sure to go to the police department and give it to them, although it would be much better to have you come too." Edgeworth stared at the note. It was handwritten, but Edgeworth couldn't recognize the writing style. "Do you have any idea who might have sent this to you?"

Phoenix shook his head. "None whatsoever. Definitely someone who has something against me."

"Hmph. That's the only logical explanation for this note, Wright. Anyway, it's getting late. I better get going now. But how about you drop by my office tomorrow, and we'll head over to the police?"

"Sounds good, Edgeworth. Thanks."

Edgeworth nodded. "Be careful. Both of you."

"We will, Mr. Edgeworth. Take care," Iris said.

As Edgeworth went to his car, he was thinking about this new event. _So someone's threatening Wright? Hm…not a surprise. I'd imagine many people would have a grudge against him, given how many criminals he's helped put into jail, but this is the first I've heard from him of someone threatening him. Who could it be?_

**Good question, Edgeworth. Who **_**could**_** it be? I mean, I know who it is…**

**Anyway, not an awesome chapter, but hopefully I'll write better chapters. There's going to be a time skip in the next chapter, but I'll be sure to explain everything about it. Please feel free to leave a review and/or private message me! Thanks!**


	22. Turnabout Missing

**Last week was quite tumultuous for me, so I had a hard time finishing this chapter up, but here it is! I hope to have another chapter posted later this week, but I'm not so sure if that's going to happen. Anyway, hope you like it!**

Chapter 22 – Turnabout Missing

**Background: Another week's gone by since Phoenix told Edgeworth about the threatening note he got. **

"This was a horrible idea, Athena! We just wasted two hours of our lives sitting in this white box!"

"Hush up, Simon! You sound awful!"

"I don't sound that bad!" Replied the samurai prosecutor, his voice raspy.

"Do you hear yourself?! Even you know how horrible your voice sounds! You're straining your voice! Keep this up, and you won't be able to talk at all!"

Before he could respond, the door opened. "Alright. Here's the meds you need to take. Read the instructions I typed for them. A nurse should be in with discharge papers soon. Bye." With that, the doctor left the room, leaving the papers with Simon.

He shuffled through them. "This is ridiculous! Why do I need to take so many medications?!"

"To get better, duh!" Although, Athena had to admit: for someone with laryngitis, this was a lot of medications to get. There were at least five listed.

They heard a knock on the door. "Come in!" Athena called out, ready to leave.

"Ahem. Hello there. My name is Dr. St-" Looking up from the chart, she gasped. "Oh! You're not…" Her eyes widened as she gulped. "P-prosecutor Blackquill." Her eyes went to Athena. "Athena. How nice to see you, I mean, it's not nice that you're here...um. Sorry, I got the wrong room."

Simon just glared at her, while Athena waved her hand. "Don't worry about it!" _Gee. She's pretty scared of Simon. _

"Um…what brings you here today, if you don't mind my asking?"

Athena pointed to Simon. "Someone's got a case of laryngitis."

Serena's eyebrows went up. "Laryngitis?" _No wonder he hasn't said anything yet, although that glare of his pretty much speaks for itself. _

The defense attorney nodded. "I had to drag him in here; otherwise, he'd never come in."

"I see. So has everything been taken care of?"

"Yeah. He got a whole list of medications from the doctor." _She seems a little worried. _

Serena frowned. "A whole…list?" Seeing Athena nod, she asked, "May I see them?" She took the papers and read through them, shaking her head. "This is ridiculous! You don't need to take this many medications!"

"He doesn't?"

"I don't?"

_Whoa. His voice doesn't sound good at all! _"No, of course not. This is crazy!" She read the name at the bottom of the papers and looked up. "If you'll give me a minute, I'll be right back."

True to her word, in one minute, she came back in, another chart in hand. "Let's see here…You don't smoke, no known allergies…" She glanced up at him. "You have a cold?"

"Yeah, he does."

"Hm…" Putting down the chart, she pulled the stethoscope from around her neck. "If you don't mind, can I listen to your lungs?"

He just grunted. "You can, Serena," Athena reassured.

Rubbing her hand over the chest piece, she spoke to him. "I'll need you to lift up your shirt."

"Allow me!" Athena volunteered herself and lifted the shirt to expose his back.

"Thanks." She positioned the stethoscope. "I just need you to take three or four deep breaths for me."

He complied with her. "Good." She stepped away. "Your lungs sound fine, so there can't be any kind of infection there." She thought for a moment. "The doctor who saw you performed a laryngoscopy, right?" Neither one spoke. He just continued to glare at her while Athena looked at her, clueless. "You know? We use a mirror to see your vocal chords?"

"…No."

"He…didn't?" Serena sighed. "Then it looks like I'll need to do one myself."

"Will it hurt?" Athena asked worriedly. It sounded painful.

The doctor smiled. "No. It'll be fine, but I'll have to spray some numbing medication to do the procedure." She looked warily at Simon. "You…wouldn't mind, would you?"

Before he could say anything, Athena spoke up. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind at all!" She then smiled just a little too sweetly at Simon. "Right Simon?"

If he was going to refuse to cooperate before, that wasn't the case anymore. He nodded his head rather quickly. _If I don't listen to her, well, I don't even want to imagine what she'll do to me then. _

"Excellent! It should only take about ten minutes max. Let me just get the things from the cabinet."

Athena watched her gather everything. "Hey. Is…everything okay?"

"Hm?" Serena turned around to face Athena. "Yes, why?"

"Oh…no reason." _Except that from your voice, I can sense many emotions. Worry, sadness, fear. But most of all, anger._

The doctor placed everything on a rolling table and went to grab a pair of gloves when loud music began to play.

Athena frowned. _Ugh! This music is awful! _She looked over at Simon, who was fuming.

"What is this bloody nonsense?!" He said hoarsely.

They both watched Serena as she shut her eyes and groaned. "It's three o'clock, isn't it?" She answered her own question by glancing at the clock.

"What's the significance of three o'clock?" Athena wondered aloud.

"At every hour, for about twenty minutes, music plays all throughout the ER," Serena explained.

"You're the director here, aren't you? Do something about it!"

She crossed her arms. "Yeah, you'd think as director, I'd have a say in this, but I don't."

Athena didn't see how that made sense. "Why not?"

"Because I'm not 'director' anymore. I'm 'co-director.'"

"Who's the other person then?"

The door opened. "Se-re-na! We need to have our director's meeting soon!"

"Yes, Dr. Emilio. I haven't forgotten, but I'm with a patient right now, so if you wouldn't mind…"

"Sure. Sorry!" He shut the door.

"He's the other director?!" Athena exclaimed.

"He's the dotard who looked after me today," Simon grumbled.

"And the guy who told us that you were seeing Mr. Wright! He didn't even recognize us when he came in!"

"Yeah, he is. This whole playing-music-in-the-ER was his idea, and the board was okay with it."

"Are you okay with it?" _Given your tone of voice, I highly doubt it. _

"Let's put it this way. We had a vote for this matter. There was only one person who voted against it."

"Wild guess here: was it you?" She nodded. "Oh."

"Yeah, but moving on from that, let's get this examination done."

While they were doing it, Athena was thinking. "Hey! That reminded me of something! I heard that you went out on a date with Dr. Emilio! Is that true?!"

Serena was busy examining Simon's throat, but that didn't stop her from responding. "I'd…rather not talk about that, actually. And for the record, it was not a date, despite what anyone might tell you. It was…simply a friendly outing."

"Okay." _Denial. _

Once finished, the doctor spoke to Simon. "You do have laryngitis, but that was easy to tell just from listening to your voice. However, your infection is viral, not bacterial. So these meds he prescribed aren't going to do any good whatsoever." She ripped them up. "I won't be prescribing you anything, unless of course you're having any pain."

He let out a dry cough. "I'm not."

"Right. This is probably just due to your cold, in which case you just need to make sure you get rest. As for the laryngitis, you should get some lozenges and have those often. They'll help keep your throat from going dry. Also make sure to have lots of liquids, mainly water, and avoid caffeine. Don't strain your voice too much with whispering or yelling. And a humidifier can help you breathe in moist air."

"Why did Dr. Emilio prescribe all those meds to him then?"

"I have no idea. However, I apologize that it took…" She checked the clock. "Three hours for you to get seen for something that could've easily been taken care of in 45 minutes at the most. Had I known you were waiting this long, I would've come in here myself."

Simon was about to say something rude, but Athena cut him off. "No problem, Serena! Thank you so much!" She nudged Simon, who looked at her, brows furrowed. "Simon, do you have something to say to her?"

"Hmph."

"I…should get going now. If you don't get better in about a week, make sure to see your primary care physician, Dr…" She checked the chart. "Oh. In that case, make sure to come back here." She smiled at them. "Take care you two, and…I hope you feel better, Prosecutor Blackquill." With that, she rushed out of the room.

"Would it seriously kill you to say thanks, Simon?!"

He grabbed one of the discharge papers, pulled out a pen, and wrote something on it before handing it to Athena. She read over it.

"Really? And you choose now to stop talking?!" She rolled her eyes. "Come on. Let's get you home. You need to rest." She smiled mischievously. "But you know what this means? No yelling 'objection!' or 'silence!' at anyone until you're better!"

_And here I thought I was the winner of the battle. She seems to best me when I least expect it!_

"Gee. Now that I think about it, if you're this upset about losing your voice, I wonder how Apollo would feel if he were in this situation?!" She laughed.

He stared at her. _I sincerely hope the fate that has fallen upon me now never, ever falls upon Justice-dono. Otherwise, Athena won't leave him to recover in peace._

* * *

"Still no leads on that note, Detective?" Edgeworth listened to Gumshoe over the phone.

"'Fraid not, sir, but we're trying our best!"

"Of course. Let me know if you do find out anything." He hung up the phone and sighed heavily. While there weren't too many cases at the Prosecutor's Office, Edgeworth had too much on his plate. There was the matter with the escaped murderer, the botched autopsy report, and most importantly, the note Phoenix had gotten.

_Who could possibly be the one to have sent that note? There's hardly enough information to warrant a thorough investigation. We don't even have a list of suspects! _

Edgeworth stood up and went to stand near the window of his office. He glared outside, deep in thought. _If only something could happen…anything that might get us closer to finding out!_

* * *

Athena had returned to the agency after dropping Simon at his apartment. She was surprised to see that the lights in the lobby were off. She saw a small sliver of light underneath the door to the room where everyone's desks were.

_That's…odd. Where is everyone? _She knew Phoenix and Iris had gone to Ivy University together, while Trucy and Apollo had also gone out, but they had went to the cemetery to visit Thalassa's grave.

Athena carefully knocked on the door before opening it. She entered to see Phoenix and Iris.

_Wait. Why is Mr. Wright sitting at Apollo's desk? _

Iris had looked up at Athena. "Oh Athena. Thank goodness."

_She sounds relieved, and yet, she also sounds…disappointed. Very disappointed, in fact. _Athena's eyes landed on Phoenix. _Why does Mr. Wright looks so…so…upset? _

Athena knew upset was an understatement. The defense attorney held his head in his hands. Athena found it discomforting.

"Boss! What's wrong?" Phoenix didn't say anything. "Boss. What's wrong?" She asked more forcefully. He sat there in the same position for a moment before raising his head up. Even though there wasn't much light in the room, Athena could tell his eyes were red. But what was more noticeable was that he looked paralyzed. Paralyzed in fear. "Mr. Wright! What happened?!"

Iris spoke up, her voice shaky. "It's…T-Trucy and Apollo."

"What about them?" _Please…don't say it. Anything but that…_

Iris looked into Athena's eyes, fear evident in them. "They've gone missing."

**Agh! I just want to write the chapter where everything's revealed, but I can't! I'm trying to speed things up a bit with writing the story though. Please feel free to leave a review and/or private message me. Thanks!**


	23. Turnabout 4th of July

**Happy Fourth of July everyone! Here's a random chapter I wrote for the occasion. It isn't very good, I know, but I figured I'd write it up. Hope you like it! **

**********************_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Ace Attorney series characters!_**

Chapter 23 - Turnabout 4th of July

July 4th, Independence Day. The weather couldn't have been more perfect for cookouts, picnics, parties, some form of celebration of the historic day. The sun shined brightly in the blue sky.

The Wright Anything Agency was occupied by three people. None of them said anything to each other, drowning Athena sat at her desk, staring down at the desk calendar, where she had marked today's date with stars and wrote in large red letters, "Agency Cookout!" She had been looking forward to the day, since they had made major plans to go the park and hang out together. She had so many activities planned for them. Football, soccer, badminton, running, just to name a few. She mainly just wanted to prove her superior athletic skills to Apollo. She recalled the conversation she had with her fellow lawyer.

(Flashback)

"So what exactly are we going to be doing for Independence Day?" Apollo asked, sitting at his desk. Athena was at her own desk. She had a wide grin on her face, which Apollo had seen. Frowning, he said, "I'm not going to like it, am I?"

"Heh, heh, heh. Oh no," Athena said, trying to feign indifference. "We're going to have a nice cookout at People Park, Trucy's going to perform some magic tricks later on in the evening, and…" She paused for dramatic effect. "We're going to play a whole bunch of games."

This caught Apollo's interest. "Games? Like what? Card games, board games, oh! Something like Scrabble or oh! Taboo?! I love Taboo!"

Athena shook her head. "Nope, nope, and no! Those aren't active games, Apollo! All you're doing is sitting and playing!"

Apollo stared at her. "Well, I like sitting down and playing. That's something I can handle."

"Then you better get yourself ready, Apollo, because we're going to be playing a whole bunch of sports!"

"Sports?" He whined. "Athena, July 4th is going to be our day off. You know what a 'day off' means, don't you? A day when you don't have to work? Where you get to relax?! Playing sports isn't exactly relaxing!"

"Don't be like that, Apollo! It's going to be so much fun, unless of course…" Athena had a cheeky smile on her face, an eyebrow arched. "You aren't any good at sports, which I can totally see being the case." She shrugged. "It's okay. I'll teach you!"

Apollo gasped. He wasn't going to let her get away with that insult. "Oh yeah? That's what you think of me, huh?!" He slammed his fists on his desk. "Consider the challenge accepted, Cykes! You just wait until Independence Day! I'll show you. I will serve you Justice!"

Athena only shook her head at the pun. "That pun was totally unnecessary, Apollo. But okay. I'm psyched for that!"

He stared at her for a moment in disbelief at the use of her pun before they burst into laughter.

(End Flashback)

Athena was waiting. Waiting for him to prove his athletic abilities (or lack thereof) to her. Waiting for him to "serve Justice." Waiting for him to come back, along with Trucy.

* * *

Iris was on the red sofa, and in her hands was Mr. Hat, one of Trucy's most prized possessions. She traced a finger on his facial features. Her eyes landed on the diamond brooch and the outfit the wooden prop was wearing. Staring at the brooch, she heard a few booms come from outside. Firecrackers, she was sure they were. That's when she remembered what had happened at the agency the day before the siblings disappeared.

(Flashback)

"So Iris! You're going to join us for July 4th, right?!" Trucy asked excitedly.

Iris smiled, nodding her head. "Feenie invited me to come here, yes."

"Yay! This is going to be so exciting! I have so much planned for it!" Trucy looked around, making sure no one else was nearby before motioning Iris to come closer. "You want to see some of my tricks?" Iris nodded.

Trucy whipped out her famous magic panties. "Okay. See? There's nothing in them, right?" She pulled them in all different ways to prove that there was nothing already in them or on therm. "Here we go! One, two, three!" On three, red, white and blue streamers came out of the article of clothing, along with sparkles.

Iris gasped, covering her mouth. "Oh my! How do you do that, Trucy?" The woman was amazed.

"Sorry Iris, but a magician can never reveal his or her secrets!" She giggled a little. "Not only do I have this," she began, reaching a hand into the magic panties. Out of them, she pulled a whole bunch of paper hats that had "Happy 4th of July!" written on them, along with the American flag printed on them. "We don't even have to buy any supplies from the store! I've got it all right here!"

Iris was tempted to ask how exactly Trucy acquired the items, but she figured that there was some secret behind it (that secret involving the party store and Phoenix's wallet). Trucy rocked on her heels. "I'm so excited! I can't wait! It's going to be so much fun! We're going to have a cookout at People Park and spend time together! It's been a while since we had a party!"

"You really are excited, aren't you Trucy?"

"Mmhm!" She had a small smile on her face. "I like parties so much because they bring people together in a good way. And after everything that happened…with Mommy…" She frowned a little, looking away to the side. "Along with Daddy and Polly keeping secrets from us, we need to have a fun day, all of us." She turned back to Iris, grinning once more. "You, Daddy, Athena, Polly and me of course! We're all going to enjoy Independence Day!"

(End Flashback)

Tears pooled in her brown eyes. It was that day, and yet, they weren't at People Park, having a blast and celebrating. Who knew where Trucy was, or Apollo? Were they safe? Were they hurt? Were they celebrating the historic day together? And most of all, would they be found soon?

* * *

Phoenix was at his own desk, his hand on the phone, ready to pick it up the moment it rang. He was only vaguely aware that the date was July 4th, and honestly, he didn't really care. He was too worried, too fearful about the current situation. Two important people in his life were missing. Gone, without a trace.

They had gone to the cemetery to visit their mother's grave, something they'd been doing frequently. He didn't think anything was wrong with letting the two of them go together, especially since he had been confident that Apollo would be able to watch out for himself and for Trucy too. Phoenix felt guilty at having let them go. He should've gone with them, but he didn't want to intrude. Trucy had told him that the two of them used the time they spent at Thalassa's grave talking about her, what they remembered about her. It was their private sibling time, when they could connect with each other and develop their brother-sister relationship better.

There was no word when they disappeared or how. He had gone to the police and reported them missing, after he and Iris had tried contacting Apollo through his cellphone, which was turned off. They had searched all over the cemetery, but to no avail. They were missing.

Phoenix flinched every time he heard a boom from outside. The first few times, he had picked up the phone, only to hear the dial tone instead of a familiar voice. He held his head in his hands. _Ms. Gramarye. I broke my promise to you. I promised I'd look after them, and now, they're gone. _He blinked back tears. _Trucy. Apollo. _

_Please be okay._

* * *

Just because it was a holiday didn't mean that people wouldn't be getting themselves hurt or sick, and the ER was slammed with patients, the waiting room nearly overcrowded. While one of the co-directors was out in the back of the building, stuffing his face and chatting up other coworkers, the other co-director was getting yelled at by patients for being too slow to check on patients.

Serena watched another angry patient storm through the exit. She ran a hand through her hair before her eyes landed on the chart rack. There were five charts in the rack, and every room was already filled.

She picked up the phone and dialed a number. "Dr. Emilio? Where are you?!...We could really use your help up here! Things are going crazy, and patients are getting…well, impatient." She heard laughter and music in the background.

"What was that? Okay! I'll get down there in a minute."

"Alright. Thanks." _I need you to come down here now, not in a minute! _

"Hey you!" She turned around, seeing a person dressed in a shirt with the American flag on it and jeans. The woman shook a fist at her. "I've been waiting here for two hours now, and no one's come in to see me yet! What kind of ER are you running?"

Serena hated being yelled at, only because it made her feel horrible. "I'm so sorry, ma'am. We've been very busy, and some very serious cases came in via ambulance that we-"

"No! I don't want to hear any excuses! I'm leaving!"

"Ma'am, please! If you could wait another minute…"

"Nope! You aren't getting anything done, young lady! You call yourself a doctor? I wish that other man was here. What was his name? Ah yes! Dr. Emilio! What a nice man! He would come in and talk to us, explain the situation and what was going on, and he always had the answers to our questions!"

Serena just stood there and listened to the patient praise Emilio. _I wonder if this woman would believe me if I told her that that same doctor is supposed to be working, but instead is lollygagging. _

"I am not going to stay here any longer."

Serena sighed heavily. "I apologize for the inconvieniecne ma'am. Happy Fourth of July."

The woman smirked. "Can't say the same to you." With that, she left.

The 33 year old groaned. That was the seventh patient to leave against medical advice, and it would be all her fault. As if to make things worse, strutting up the hall was Dr. Emilio. _He couldn't come a few minutes earlier, could he?_

"Hey there! Why the long face?!"

"Nothing. Just another patient who left AMA." She grabbed a chart. "Thank goodness you're finally here. I need you take care of half these patients."

"No prob! I'll get the charts in a sec." He went into the doctor's dictation room while Serena began reading over the chart she had. She glanced up and to the room he was in, from which she could hear obnoxious laughter. Two of the voices were the physician's assistant and the doctor who was working in triage. Pursing her lips, she strolled over and stood in the doorway. Of course, they were laughing at something Dr. Emilio had told them.

"If you guys don't mind, we've got patients who are waiting to be seen," she stated.

"Dr. Sterling. Come on! It's 4th of July! Chill a little," the physician assistant told her, before giving Emilio a flirtatious smile. "Otty here was just telling us the funniest story from one of his past 4th of Julys in college!"

"Want to hear it, Serena?" He asked her, hope in his eyes.

"No, thank you. I have work to do." She walked away, shaking her head. _I officially hate today. Some holiday this is. _She knocked on a door before entering, bracing herself inside for a rush of complaints to come her way. _'Happy' Independence Day indeed. What's so happy about it?! It's just another excuse for people to goof off at work._

* * *

The Prosecutor's Office wasn't too busy, since many people were off for the holiday. Of course, the Chief Prosecutor wasn't one of those individuals. He was in his office, reading over some of the evaluations from his subordinates. After reading the last one in the pile, he leaned back a little in his chair.

_July 4__th__. Independence Day. I wasn't even supposed to be here. _Surprisingly, Edgeworth was planning to join the Wright Anything Agency crew on their cookout for a period of time, but after Apollo and Trucy went missing, all plans had been cancelled. Not that he minded. Celebrations weren't exactly his thing. _It would've been better had it been due to another reason why the get-together was cancelled. _

He was frustrated. There was little to no progress in the search for the defense attorney and the young magician. Even Edgeworth was beginning to grow concerned. He had scolded Phoenix for letting them go off on their own after the note he received, but upon seeing how distressed and guilt-ridden the man was, Edgeworth stopped himself.

_Something needs to happen. We need some kind of lead to reveal itself. _He pulled out a copy of threatening note from his desk drawer, which he had made before the original was taken in by the police. _Who could've sent this note? And why? What is the reasoning behind kidnapping Trucy and Apollo? _Somehow, he didn't think it was just to get revenge at Phoenix. There was something more to it.

Something malicious.

**This was just kind of a super-random chapter I decided to write due to someone asking me if I'd write a 4****th**** of July chapter. I wrote it super quick, and I'm sure that this chapter reflects that. Please feel free to leave a review or private message me! Thanks, and have a Happy 4****th**** of July!**


	24. Turnabout Explosion

**Happy Fourth of July again everyone! Here's chapter 24! Not a very fun chapter, but…**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Ace Attorney series characters!**_

Chapter 24 – Turnabout Explosion

"Hello. Sterling residence!"

_This doesn't sound like her.  
_  
"Ahem. Yes. I'm calling to speak with Ms. Sterling?"

"Is this the pizza boy who delivered pizza to me yesterday and said he'd call so I could get his number?" The voice asked flirtatiously. "Because I'm not Ms. Sterling."

_What?! This definitely cannot be Ms. Sterling! Hm...Then this must be... _He wasn't expecting that. _  
_  
"Miss Reece. This is Miles Edgeworth."

"Oh." She didn't bother to hide her disappointment. "Rena's at her office. Bye."

_Hmph. That was rather abrupt. No matter. I better get to the ER then._

* * *

He very soon found himself standing in front of the door to her office. He knocked on it, and heard from within, "Who is it?"

"Miles Edgeworth."

"Oh…come in."

He turned the knob and stopped mid-step. The office looked like a disaster-zone. There were papers strewn all over the place. An empty pizza box was sitting on one of the chairs. On the desk, there were even more papers, and a whole bunch of blue clipboards on it. In the middle of it, sitting at her desk, hunched over a manila file, was one very disheveled-looking Serena. "Is…now a bad time, Ms. Sterling?"

"No, no. It's…fine. Please. Have a seat," she said tiredly. "How can I help you, Mr. Edge-"

The phone rang. Heaving a loud sigh, shutting her eyes, she grabbed a pencil with her right hand, and brought the phone to her ear. "Dr. Sterling. How can I help you?...Hey Tina…" She frowned. "What's wrong?...Yeah?...What about him?" Her eyes darkened, and her face became progressively redder. "You're. Kidding."

SNAP!

His eyes widened as he saw the pencil she held in her hand now in two pieces on her desk.

"Tina," she began, teeth gritted. "I want you to tell him to come down to the office, immediately. And get the patient's contact info. I'll take care of them myself later." She slammed the phone on the receiver.

She took a small breath in, clasping her hands together. "Excuse me, Mr. Edgeworth," She began in a tight voice. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to interrupt this meeting before it's even started to have a very serious and totally unnecessary conversation with one of my coworkers."

She stood up and left the office without hearing his reply, not shutting the door behind her.

* * *

"Serena, darling! I'm so glad to see you!" The suave, brown haired doctor approached her, a large smile on his face.

She stood outside the office, arms crossed, hiding her clenched fists, her foot tapping impatiently. "I wish I could say the same, Dr. Emilio. Would you care to explain to me what just transpired down the hall?" She cut right to the chase.

"Oh, a patient got upset because they had to wait for a long time and threatened to leave." He shrugged. "Nothing major. You don't need to worry about sweetie."

"First of all, please don't call me sweetie. I much prefer you to call me Serena. And I do have to worry, because that is not what happened."

"But Serena-"

"No. You are going to stop talking and start listening," she said firmly. "I've already gotten numerous complaints from many colleagues about your lack of respect for them, and you and I have spoken about that way too many times. That in and of itself is bad enough, but…" She paused, shaking her head in disbelief. "To say such rude things in front of a patient, that is absolutely unacceptable. If there is one thing I do not tolerate, it's disrespect. You need to understand that we're here for our patients, not the other way around. Even if they don't treat us with respect, it's our responsibility to give them respect."

He was silent through her lecture. "I'm sorry. I really am."

She sighed. "You always say that for everything. It's hard to take you seriously, you know."

"But you know me, don't you? You know I mean it."

"Quite frankly, I don't think you do; otherwise, you wouldn't repeat this behavior."

Now he sighed heavily. "Let me guess. That chatterbox Tina told you about this, didn't she? That girl needs to shut her mouth."

Serena hadn't expected that to come out of him. "Excuse me? I told her to report anything like that to me. She's just doing her job! And that is no way to talk about your coworker."

"But she reported me! I'm her boss!"

"So am I. We're both directors, in case you forgot," she added, bitterness clear in her voice.

"Of course I know that, but still. Hey! You want to go on another date?"

Serena gasped. "Wh-where did that come from?!" She was almost rendered speechless. "Do you realize that I called you here to discuss your behavior?! This is a serious matter!"

"But now we're done discussing it, right? I've learned my lesson!"

"Dr. Emilio. You insulted a patient! How can you not see that that's a horrible to do?!"

He shrugged. "Serena, if you saw that patient, you'd agree with me."

Her eyes flashed. "What did you just say?" _I dare you to say that again._ He repeated himself. "Did that lecture I gave you not go through to your brain?!"

"Serena dear. You're making this a bigger deal than it needs to be. Just chill out." He reached out to grab her, only for her to step away.

"Chill out? You want me to chill out?! Dr. Emilio. I have had it up to here with all of this nonsense of yours. It is a big deal, okay?! This isn't the only thing you've done! You've been prescribing drugs unnecessarily, you've been slacking off on dictations, which I have to end up doing myself, just to name a few things. You're not even looking after the patients properly! We've had too many people come back in with worse symptoms, patients you looked after! All you seem to do is play music over the speakers and dance around all over the place!"

"But it's fun," he whined.

"You know what? I've tried my hardest to stay professional about this whole thing, but you've pushed me past the limit In case you weren't aware, this is not a theater with the first five letters gone! This is an ER, as in emergency room, where people come in to get seen and treated by doctors and nurses, not to listen to trashy, inappropriate music and be ignored!" She stated heatedly.

"It isn't hurting anyone," he argued.

Serena couldn't believe the guy. _Seriously?! Why did they make him co-director?! _Her voice was raised now. "That's not the point. It's bad enough that the music that's playing is downright vulgar, but to neglect your patients and fool around like you do? Honestly, I don't even know how you became a doctor!"

"You don't mean that, do you?"

"In all seriousness, I do!"

"Serena dear. You take your job too seriously. Some of these patients…" He shook his head. "We shouldn't be wasting our time on them. Always with the complaints and everything. I think some of them deserve to suffer. But I guess they're good sources of money for us."

* * *

Edgeworth couldn't help but stand in the doorway and watch the one-sided argument.

She let out a bitter laugh. "Of course. I knew you were one of the ones who're in it for the money the moment I saw you." She glared at him. Her patience had been wearing thin, but now, it was gone. "Dr. Emilio. Please get out." She wasn't going to have him in her ER any longer.

"Excuse me?!" He looked at her incredulously.

"I said get out. Please." He shook his head. "I'll ask nicely one more time. Please. Get. Out."

"Come on, Serena dear. Let's talk this out. Maybe over dinner?" He asked suggestively.

"Dr. Emilio. I do _not _like you, understand?" She spoke very slowly. "I _never_ liked you, in a romantic sense, and now, I just plain and simple do not like _you._ I'll be very blunt and say you are the _last_ guy I would _ever_ date or even consider as a friend. I've seen the way you flirt with the girls, and they all seem to fawn over you. _I _don't do that, nor do I like that either. And you seem to think everything's a joke in life. _I _am not like that. I take many things very seriously, and my work is my number one priority. I take it _extremely _seriously. I've tried to feign ignorance about your...feelings for me. Yes, that's right. I was never oblivious to how you felt about me. I'm not that dumb; however, I was able to let it go. But I can't ignore everything else you've done, and that you're not doing your job. Now, you need to vacate the premise immediately."

"Or what? You'll attack me?" He smirked, his eyes twinkling as he reached out to take hold of her hand.

She swiped her hand away. Grasping his wrist, she dragged him to the back door, opened it, and ushered him out. "GET OUT AND STAY OUT!" She roared, slamming and locking said door shut.

Edgeworth sat back down in the chair. He had never, ever expected to see her get so upset. She seemed to usually have a calm demeanor, save for that time when her office was the crime scene, and she argued incessantly with him about the police investigation. It was almost frightening. Almost.

After a minute, she came back in and sat down at her desk, her face still red but looking much more relaxed. "Now, what was it we were saying, Mr. Edgeworth?"

"Er…Ms. Sterling. If now's not a good time, I wouldn't mind-"

"No, Mr. Edgeworth. I'm not going to let that fool be the reason for us not discussing an important matter now," she said resolutely. She sighed gently. "I personally wouldn't like to put this off." Her eyes landed on the manila folder she was reading when he came in. "I've…been increasingly busy."

Before she could further comment, the phone rang again. She shot a glare at it. "Hello?" She said forcefully. "Yes, this is she…Yes?" Her angry face soon became one of apprehension and one of major disappointment. "Yes…yes, I understand that, but he…if you'd hear me out…" She wasn't allowed to finish her sentence as someone yelled through the phone. She sighed defeatedly. "Yes…I'm sorry. Of course. I apologize for my lack of professionalism…I'll make sure to consider the consequences of my actions before I set them in motion. Goodbye."

He just stared at her. _It was a very bad idea coming in here now. _

"Eight years of working here, and I've never gotten written up before…" She muttered under her breath once she hung up.

_Well, she surely isn't bitter about it, is she?_

"Anyway, ignoring all of that, you were here for…?"

"To discuss whatever happened with that autopsy report issue. You said you would handle it?"

"Right. That." She pressed her lips into a thin line.

_The way she said that…I don't have a good feeling about this._

"I…brought it to the attention of our board."

"Your…board?"

She nodded. "Our board of physicians. He was a part of it, the doctor who did the autopsy. They handle a whole bunch of affairs, complaints about doctors being one of them." She once more crossed her arms, an aggravated look crossing her features. "I told them about the autopsy report, and they…well…"

"They what, Ms. Sterling?"

"They said I was being stupid," she replied tersely.

"Well, did you show them the autopsy report you had written up?"

She almost glared at him before looking away. "Of course I did. And they…they said they'd handle it."

"So have they?"

"They're evaluating his performance, and so far, he hasn't done anything wrong. It was just a mistake, they claim."

_Somehow, I'm not convinced, and it would seem that she isn't either. _

"Very well. That was all." He stood up. "Good day, Ms. Sterling."

"You too, Mr. Edgeworth."

As he was leaving the ER, Tina stopped him by the nurse's station. "Hey. Is she okay? Dr. Sterling, I mean?"

"I suppose that depends on your definition of okay."

"Okay meaning that she didn't completely blow up on Dr. Emilio."

"Then no. She is far from okay."

"What happened?" Edgeworth gave a concise explanation of what happened. "Dr. Sterling's been pretty stressed out lately, and she's been insanely busy. If she's not here on the floor treating people, then she's in her office."

"You say that as if it's unusual for her."

"Because it is. She's…been acting strange for a little while now. She reminds me of a student working on some kind of research project, and the deadline is like, tomorrow. Dr. Emilio hasn't been helping out either. It was a matter of time before she blew up."

"Hm…well, I'm sure there's a logical explanation to her acting…weird."

"Well duh. Obviously."

Edgeworth straightened himself, clearing his throat authoritatively. "I must get going now."

* * *

The Chief Prosecutor was in his office the next day, working on some paperwork. It'd been two days since Trucy and Apollo had gone missing, and so far no one had found them.

"Mr. Edgeworth, sir!" Detective Gumshoe entered the office.

"Detective Gumshoe. Do you have any new leads about their disappearance?"

Gumshoe shook his head. "'Fraid not, sir, but I have the boys working hard. I got those files you wanted me to get for you, though." He placed them on the desk.

"Thank you, Detective. Anything else?"

"No sir." Gumshoe turned to leave, only to face the Chief Prosecutor. "Actually, I just remembered. Did Dr. Sterling come see you?"

"No, she didn't."

"That's odd. She came over to the precinct this morning. Said she had something she really needed to tell you about. It seemed urgent."

"Is that so? Well, I'm sure she just got caught up at work."

"Yeah, you're right sir. Alright then, pal. See you later!" Gumshoe was walking out the door when Phoenix ran in, nearly trampling over Gumshoe.

"Sorry Detective!" He huffed and skidded to a stop in front of Edgeworth's desk.

"Wright. Please don't skid like that. You'll ruin the floor!"

"Sorry! But I've got something I need to show you! It's an emergency!"

Edgeworth had never seen the defense attorney in such a state. His clothes were windswept, his hands were shaking rather violently, his skin very white, and blue eyes huge and…tearing up? "Wright. What's wrong?"

He noticed that there was a red envelope in the man's hand. "This!"

Edgeworth accepted it and opened it. He saw a handwritten note. "_Trucy and Apollo will be next!"_ His own eyes widened. "Wright. What does this mean? Trucy and Apollo were already kidnapped, weren't they?"

"There's...more in the envelope, Edgeworth." The Chief Prosecutor opened it once more and saw something flutter out. It was a photo, face-down. He flipped on the right side, and he nearly gasped aloud. He pulled off his glasses, stunned. He stared up at Phoenix before reluctantly returning his gaze to the photo he held. In it, sprawled on the ground, their front completely soaked in red was…

**This chapter is written terribly, I know. I might go back and edit it a little later. I wanted to speed things up, and of course, add some suspense too! Please feel free to leave a review and/or private message me! **


	25. Close to the Turnabout

**Ugh. This chapter could've been written much better, but then it would take me forever to get it done. I want to just get the story wrapped up at this point, especially because I'm a little worried about something. Anyway, hope you enjoy!**

******************************_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Ace Attorney series characters!_**

Chapter 25 – Close to the Turnabout

"Edgeworth. What do we do?!"

The Chief Prosecutor was silent, trying to figure out how to go about this. The situation was delicate and time-dependent. If they didn't work fast…

"Hm…We need to find out who left this note for you, Wright. This should be given to the police immediately to get fingerprints." He picked up the phone. "I'll call Detective Skye and ask her to take care of it."

Phoenix nodded and waited as the other man had a brief exchange with Ema. Hanging up, Edgeworth folded his hands in front of him. He stared up at Phoenix, who was trembling.

"Wright. Sit down. You're a mess." He watched the man sit down. "Now…I believe the best way to approach this is to do some investigation."

Phoenix's eyebrows went up. "Investigation?"

"Yes. We can conclude that whoever committed this…heinous crime is the one who has Apollo and Trucy in their possession."

"So where do we start?"

"I know exactly where."

* * *

"Er…well, I'd _like_ to let you guys down there, but…if I do, Dr. Emilio might kill me, and you guys too. He's been on a rampage ever since she went missing."

Edgeworth crossed his arms tightly. "This is a very serious matter, miss. We need to have access to that office posthaste."

Tina stood there in front of them silently before nodding. "Okay then. I guess I'll give you the key." She went to the nurse's station and pulled out a key and came back around, handing it to Edgeworth. "Here. Don't lose it." Edgeworth placed it in the pocket of his coat. He and Phoenix turned to leave. "Er…Mr. Edgeworth?"

He faced the nurse. "Yes?"

"You'll…you'll be able to find her, won't you? Dr. Sterling I mean?"

He was quiet for a moment. "Yes…we will." Before she could say anything in response, he motioned for Phoenix to follow him. He knew his way rather well in the department now.

Using the key, he opened the office door, and saw that it was in the messy state he'd left it in.

"Geez. And I thought my office was bad."

"Hmph. Come on, Wright. We'd better start searching for some kind of clue."

The two of them began wading their way through the mess. Edgeworth quickly went to the desk, while Phoenix searched the bookcase.

"Hm…" Edgeworth was looking for the manila folder he had noticed her staring at. He was almost positive that it would hold some kind of clue. "Try to see if you can find a manila folder, Wright."

Phoenix nodded and moved from the bookcase to the floor, which was littered with a bunch of files and papers.

Edgeworth had gone through most of the desk and didn't find anything, but he noticed that underneath the desk calendar, there seemed to be a clump. It didn't look right. Lifting it, he found the folder. "Never mind, Wright. I found it right here."

_Not the best hiding place. _The folder had a whole bunch of papers in it. He skimmed over them. _Interesting…_

"Wright. Take a look at this." Phoenix came over to stand next to Edgeworth behind the desk.

"These….are about Ms. Gramarye."

"Indeed they are. The question that remains is why she has all of this information?"

Phoenix was wondering that too. "Well, she _was_ Ms. Gramarye's doctor the day she…you know."

"Really?" Edgeworth wasn't very convinced. _Why would she look into it though?_ He examined the papers a little more carefully. _An autopsy report? _"Wright? Did they have an autopsy done on Ms. Gramarye?"

Phoenix frowned, a confused expression on his face. "Not that I was aware of, no. Why?"

"According to these notes, one was done."

Phoenix was taken aback. "Well? Where is it?!" He asked urgently.

He leafed through the papers and pulled out a small packet. "Here it is. How did Ms. Gramarye die, Wright?"

"Apparently, according to some of the other doctors and nurses who were there that night, she went into a sudden cardiac arrest."

"That might not have been the case, Wright." He looked up. "Because according to this report, there's a strong suspicion that Ms. Gramarye was poisoned."

"What?! Give me that!" Phoenix snatched the papers and read through them. "Wh-what?! Serena never told us about this! She didn't really say anything about it."

_I wonder…did she suspect foulplay from the beginning? Or…_

Edgeworth and Phoenix stared at each other, the same thought coming into their minds. _Did she have something to do with this?_

Edgeworth saw that Phoenix was struggling to maintain a calm composure. He was trying to hide his trembling, but was failing miserably. _Maybe it wasn't a good idea to bring him with me. This is already more than he can handle. _

"Wright. You should head back to the office. You're in no condition to be investigating. Besides, Ms. Fey and Athena are alone there, aren't they? You should keep an eye on them and make sure they stay safe, along with yourself." He checked the time. "Not to mention it's getting late. I'll go back to the office and see what I can figure out from all of this."

* * *

It was 10 PM at night. He had only gotten back to his office after going to the police department and finding out what leads they may have gotten about the disappearance. Ema had informed him, much to his disappointment that they didn't know whose fingerprints were on the note.

Edgeworth hadn't been able to confiscate the papers they'd found; but Tina had been nice enough to let him make copies of it. He was now reading over them carefully. The doctor had written many bullet points on one piece of paper, connecting the multiple pieces together.

_So she was concerned about how Ms. Gramarye died, since she was expected to live for another three months. That explains why she had an autopsy done then. She must've suspected foul play._ He read on._ Someone poisoned Ms. Gramarye…Check security tape for people who entered the room. _

Edgeworth frowned. She didn't seemed to have followed up on that, or at least, the notes didn't go on to talk about that._ 'He' has been in the medical records room way too many times. Up to something. Find out what. _His brows furrowed. "Who is the he she's referring to?"

Edgeworth dropped the papers on the desk, sighing heavily. _What exactly led her to look into this matter so much? And what happened? Did she discover something so huge, someone felt they needed to silence her? _

This would've been a lot easier if he could've asked her himself. _Perhaps this was the reason why she was planning to come in today and speak to me?_

Shuffling through the papers once more, something caught his eye. A little crumpled slip was hidden among the papers. He smoothed it out and read it. "_He kept mumbling into his phone about someone he referred to as K.G. K.G. must be his boss. The other initials used were S.R. No idea who that is either. An accomplice?_"

"K.G. K.G. What could that stand for?" The Chief Prosecutor searched his memory for any crime syndicates that may have those initials. None came to mind. His eyes were focused on the desk, where there was a list of about ten names.

His eyes widened before narrowing. _No…This can't be possible. There's no way, but… _Edgeworth thought through the idea, and the more he pondered it, the more it made sense; at the same time, he was confused too. Everything was becoming crystal clear, and at the same time even more foggy. He was sure, though, that he knew exactly who was behind it all.

He knew exactly who he would be speaking to in the morning.

**Short chapter before the big revealing chapter. Any ideas anyone? Who could this mysterious figure be?! I'm hoping you've figured out who died. It _wasn't _Apollo or Trucy! ****Find out in the next chapter! Please feel free to leave me review and/or private message me! Sorry if I haven't replied to any PMs lately, though. I've been getting a little busy with other things, but I'll try my best to answer them! **


	26. The Insane Turnabout

**Okay. This is it. The chapter I've been fearing all this time. This could potentially break it for me. I hope you guys don't hate me or think I'm completely ridiculous once you read this. I think I've said enough…Brace yourselves, I suppose is all I can say at this point…**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Ace Attorney series characters!**_

Chapter 26 – The Insane Turnabout

"Polly. Wh-where are we?" The young magician whimpered.

_I wish I knew, Trucy. _He glanced over at his little sister. Trucy's being was shaking, and she held her hands together in front of her, her lower lip quivering. It had started off as a simple visit to their mother's grave. They were using the time alone to build their sibling relationship, and in a sense, spend more time with their mother. Next thing they knew, someone had been grabbing them both from behind and covered their mouth with something.

Now, here they were, in some kind of hidden room of sorts. It would've been pitch black if it weren't for the few lanterns propped up on the walls. Apollo was sure they were in some secret underground location.

"Are we going to get out of here, Polly?"

He wrapped his arms around her, trying to squeeze the fear out of her. "I don't know, Trucy, but I promise. I won't let anything happen to you."

They sat there like that for a few minutes, holding onto each other. Apollo was trying to figure out a plan to escape. If they could escape.

_How are we going to get out of here? And even if we do find some way out, how do we know we won't be led to the people who brought us here in the first place? _He was anxious. They had no idea where they were, or why they were there. _I guess we should just…sit here…and wait. _

His eyes stared at the dirt ground. That's when he saw something twinkle in the light. Like a star.

A star.

Clay.

_Hm…what would…Clay do in a situation like this? _He began thinking back to his best friend, who was now amongst the stars. _If Clay were in this situation, he wouldn't just sit back and mope! No…He would get up, say he's fine, and try to find a way out of here! That's right! What was I thinking?! To sit here and wait?! We've got to do something about this! I need to be strong and brave! For Trucy! I am her older brother after all! I need to protect her, and get her to safety!_

Trucy felt Apollo's grip on her loosen, and she tilted her head up to see that he was now standing. "Polly? What are y-"

"I'm Apollo Justice, and I'm fine."

_What?! Is he really practicing his Chords of Steel now?! _

"I'm Apollo Justice, and I'm fine! I'm Apollo Justice and I'm-"

"Polly!" She yelled, almost as loud as him. "What are you doing?!"

"Come on Trucy! Do it with me!"

"But…why?!"

"We can't just sit here, Trucy! We've got to find a way out! I know we can do it! Now come on! Let's build up our confidence!" He watched her gradually get to her feet. "That's it. Now say, 'I'm Trucy Wright, and I'm fine.'"

_Well, I guess I could give it a try. _Clearing her throat, she spoke aloud, "I'm Trucy Wright, and I'm fine."

"Come on, Trucy! I know you can say it louder. Now come on!"

Trucy stared at Apollo. _He seems…really excited about this. Well, I guess if he's feeling confident…I bet we can get out of here! _

Feeling her confidence beginning to increase already, Trucy clenched her fists in front of her, a determined look on her features. "I'm Trucy Wright, and I'm fine!"

"Alright! Let's say it together, three more times!"

"I'm Trucy Wright…"

"I'm Apollo Justice…"

"And I'm fine."

"I'm Trucy Wright…"

"I'm Apollo Justice…"

"And I'm fine!"

"I'm Trucy Wright…"

"I'm Apollo Justice…"

They now faced each other, and at the top of their lungs, they yelled aloud: "AND WE'RE FINE!"

"Let's get ourselves out of this creepy place, Apollo!" Trucy was feeling much better, and was now getting back into her groove. She took hold of Apollo's hand, and they were poised to run down the tunnel to their left.

"Wait!"

Hearing the voice, they searched around to find the source. Upon finding it, they both gasped.

* * *

_Solitary Confinement Cell Number 13. Home of the man who was instrumental in bringing in the Dark Age of the Law. _

"Miles Edgeworth. Chief Prosecutor of Los Angeles. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Edgeworth almost snorted. _Oh, I feel quite welcomed. _The man was sitting at his chair, reading a book.

The prosecutor was surprised to see how well-furnished the prison cell was. A mulberry fabric-covered chair with a beige pillow on it. A huge bookcase that lined the wall. A small coffee table, which had a huge book on it, and another little side table, which had a vase of roses and a nail polish bottle on it, shaped like a hand.

Edgeworth had to admit. The man did seem to have a decent sense of taste when it came to furnishings; however, that didn't change the fact that the blonde-hair and blue-eyed man was in prison. Even with being a prison inmate, the man seemed to be getting away with a lot.

Edgeworth glared at the former defense attorney turned vile criminal, who now stood in front of him, tall and proud-looking. "Tell me, Mr. Gavin. Where are they keeping Mr. Justice and Trucy?" Silence. "How about Ms. Sterling?"

The man was busy examining his nails. "Who cares where she is? She's nothing more than a sniveling little doctor who just had to get in the way," he snarled. Immediately, he was all cool and collected as he smoothly added, "There's no need to give out her location, is there?" He had a relaxed smile on his face.

"Fine then. What about Trucy and Mr. Justice? I know Mr. Justice did help to convict you, but what did she ever do to you? If I recall correctly, she actually, even if it was unknowingly, helped you to falsely accuse Wright of forging evidence. And now…you're threatening to have them killed?"

The blonde criminal sighed and shook his head. "Mr. Edgeworth. Surely you don't think it was _me_ who's behind all of this, do you?"

_Well, you haven't exactly been denying anything. _

The prosecutor's eyes flashed. "Tell me the truth, Kristoph." Edgeworth was done using formalities with this guy. "Why did you turn to a life of crime? Whatever happened to defending your client?"

"Do you know who Thalassa Gramarye is?"

Edgeworth was taken aback by the random question. "She is…or rather, now was, once a part of Troupe Gramarye, and daughter of Magnifi Gramarye. After losing her memories, she lived with amnesia in Borginia as a blind singer and called herself Lamiroir."

Kristoph sneered. "She was also the mother of my former employee, Apollo Justice, and of Phoenix Wright's daughter, Trucy."

"Hm…Yes, that's true." Edgeworth didn't think to bring that up. "What does that woman have to do with you?"

"What does she have to do with me? Nothing, of course." He then glared. "Except that she is my half-sister."

"Wh..WHAT?!" _That can't possibly be true!_

"Don't be so surprised, Chief Prosecutor. We share the same mother, but different fathers."

Edgeworth could not believe his ears. Could he really believe what this man was saying? This…deeply disturbed man? "Then…Prosecutor Gavin…does he know?"

"No. I didn't want him to know. He was never to know."

_If what he said is really true, then that means Mr. Justice is…Prosecutor Gavin's nephew? Oh my. I think this might give me a headache. No. I need to focus on the situation. Get as much information out of him as I can._

"Who? Who did it?"

"Did what, Chief Prosecutor? You'll have to be more explicit."

"Who killed Ms. Sterling?"

Kristoph laughed that maniacal, blood-curdling laugh that was a signature of his. "You actually expect me to reveal such sensitive information to you? No way. Just know that she's dead."

"But…why? Why resort to murder?!"

"Sources told me that that doctor had somehow put the pieces together and was too close to finding out my dark secret. Exactly the reason why she had to be eliminated."

"She wasn't looking into that. She was much more interested in finding out about why that other doctor had taken up such an interest in Ms. Gramarye's records. Not to mention, she wanted to know how Ms. Gramarye had passed away."

"How else did she pass away? She was killed. Murdered. By a doctor, no less. Quite ironic. One who's entrusted with people's lives…only to take them."

"If you're suggesting that Ms. Sterling killed her, yo-"

"No. That doctor is too much of a coward to be able to kill someone. No. That bumbling fool, Otis. He snuck into the room and slipped something into the IV. I was quite impressed. I didn't think he had it in him to do so."

_Of course. I knew it. Dr. Emilio was the 'he' she was referring to. She must've figured it out too. _"As per your request, I'd assume?"

"Hm…very good, Chief Prosecutor."

"But why? If she was your sister…"

"Half-sister. And why you ask? Because she got the better end of the bargain."

"What are you talking about?"

"Our mother. Hera might have been her name. She left Magnifi Gramarye for our father, Cedric Gavin. Then my father found out about Magnifi, and he found out that not only did our mother have a daughter with him, but she was actually still contacting him! They both got divorced immediately, right when Klavier was only a couple of years old. That woman…she left us, and our father…his mental condition slipped." The man scowled. "My life was perfect until then. It would've stayed perfect too, if it hadn't been for what happened."

"So then what was your purpose for killing Shadi Smith…or rather, Zak Gramarye? Why did you even bother to defend him in the first place?! You even forged evidence so that he could be proven innocent! Was it really just so that you could claim glory from winning a high-profile case?"

"Because I wanted to get close to him. Close enough…so that I could kill him then. He was the husband of my half-sister, a man she loved. I wanted to destroy him and her. All of them. Seek revenge for the sin our mother committed, and get rid of everything she loved and had nearly left us for."

"Then…your reason for hiring Mr. Justice…did you know…"

"Yes, I did. I knew. The moment I saw those eyes of his, I didn't have a doubt in my mind that he was the son of my pathetic half-sister. The bracelet was just evidence. Besides..." The man smirked. "I was keeping tabs on her. I found out about her running off and marrying a stage magician, and how she had a child with him."

"You do realize everything you just told me is going to be used in court, correct? None of this is off the record."

"Oh, I'm fully aware of that." The man dipped into his nail polish and began doing his nails. "I've succeeded in my most of my goals, although, I do have two more targets left. I have no need to care about what you do with me. My fate is already set in stone, correct?"

Edgeworth really wanted to break that stupid bottle of his. _The gall of this man to act so normal when he had his own sister killed! _He then considered what Kristoph had just said. _Two targets? No. He…he must mean Mr. Justice and Trucy! _He eyed the man as he delicately polished his thumbnail. _This man…is seriously perverse. _

"What about your brother, huh Kristoph? Do you know how much you personally put Prosecutor Gavin through? Don't you at least care for him?"

"Hmph. My brother is pathetic. Not only did he become a prosecutor, but to be a part of a musical band? Disappointing, not that I ever told him. I…didn't have the heart to do so."

_Hmph. As if you had a heart to begin with. _

"Although, I guess I should be thankful for his being in a band. That's how I got acquainted with that buffoon, Otis. He was a drummer in their little group."

_The Gavinners, wasn't it? But wait! That would mean…Dr. Emilio was once part of the police force?! _

"What did that man do in the police department?"

"An officer, I think he was. Not an exceptional one. Klavier liked him for his flirtatiousness towards the ladies, his appearance, and his skills as a drummer, hence why he was asked to join the band." Kristoph smirked, shaking his head. "He proved to be quite useful though."

"But…why make him pose as a doctor?"

"Oh? That? Well, I needed someone in the health profession to help cover up some of the things we had to do. Namely, the autopsy report for that man Huntley, and to get to dear sister's medical documents from there, and find out what exactly was happening to her in regards to her ailment. I wanted to know just what was going on. Besides, it's always good to have connections in all the different fields and professions, correct?"

Edgeworth didn't bother to dignify that question with an answer. "So you're still unwilling to disclose where Mr. Justice and Trucy are." _Of course. I never expected it to be that easy. _"Very well then. I suppose I should be off."

As he was leaving, he heard the suave voice speak from behind. "Oh, one request, Chief Prosecutor." Edgeworth glanced over his shoulder. "Say hi to Wright for me, and tell him I hope he's doing alright."

"Hmph."

**For any Klapollo shippers out there, you probably hate me immensely right now (although you should know that that's not the ship I write). The rest of you are probably thinking, "This person is crazy." Well, maybe I am! I came up with this crazy head canon a couple of months ago that Kristoph and Klavier were Lamiroir/Thalassa's half-brothers. But in my defense, if people can go and claim that Misty Fey is Edgeworth's mom, and that Maya and Mia are his half-sisters, or that Damon Gant is Apollo's father (oh yes, there's a theory like that in existence, I kid you not), then I think it's perfectly okay for me to say this. *shrug* Anyway, yeah. I hope you guys aren't going to flee away from this story and me! (I posted a sort of kind of chapter detailing this crazy head canon I came up with). **


	27. Headcanon Explained

_Headcanon Explained_

**The crazy headcanon: Lamiroir, Kristoph, and Klavier **

**So I was one day pondering, "Gee. Why **_**did**_ **Kristoph Gavin have 5 black psyche locks? I mean, a lot of people attributed it to his being paranoid about anyone finding out what he did in terms of his crimes, but I didn't like that answer. It didn't really satisfy me. When Phoenix asks him why he killed Shadi Smith/Zak Gramarye, Kristoph didn't have one or two, but **_**five**_**psyche locks. I figured, "There has to be more to it than just being a crazy perfectionist and being insanely paranoid." **

**So my crazy mind started thinking about why. Why did he kill Zak Gramarye? I was looking at the images of Thalassa and Klavier, when I saw something: they kind of have the similar hairstyle. I mean, of course, Klavier and Kristoph **_**definitely **_**do, but I looked at Thalassa's hairstyle and was like, "Her hair looks kind of like theirs." (If you want to see an image/post I made about this, paste the following in google and look for the result that says "May 9th, 2014 - Sailor Universe" {although on the post, I said Kristoph was trying to get revenge against Zak for Thalassa's death. I now do _not _ think that's the case} : **

**[[[ "but I somehow got to thinking about Kristoph Gavin and why he had the  
Black Psyche-Locks when asked about Shadi Smith/Zak Gramarye. Let's just  
say, long story short, I came up with this insane idea: What if  
Thalassa was related to Kristoph and Klavier?" ]]])**

**Another thing: they all have blue eyes. What's more, Thalassa was born in 1986, Kristoph in 1993-4, and Klavier in 2002. I figured the only way they could possibly be related to each other is through their mothers. We don't know **_**anything**_ **about the Mr. and Mrs. Gavin, sadly, but we do know about Magnifi Gramarye (but not Thalassa's mom…). So that's when the idea came to mind: **

**What if Klavier and Kristoph's mom was also Thalassa's mom? Thalassa's mom married Magnifi, had Thalassa, they got divorced when Thalassa was a child, and her mother went off and married Mr. Gavin, having Kristoph, and then 8-9 years later, Klavier. (I feel this sort of explains why Thalassa's the only one who has the power of perception, since she would've inherited that from her father). But…then I thought, "Why would Kristoph be mad about that?" **

**Then I came up with another idea. Despite having married Mr. Gavin and having Kristoph and then Klavier, their mother was still keeping in contact with Magnifi, and Mr. Gavin found out, and pretty much long story short, the Gavin family was ruined, and Kristoph was sort of left with raising Klavier. He was so angry and bitter about having his family ruined, that he swore to seek revenge against the people responsible. **

…**Yeah. Let me know via PM if you want to talk more about this. I just felt that if I was going to make an outrageous claim like this, the least I could do is explain why! (But it **_**is**_** Ace Attorney, isn't it? I figured this wasn't something too far-fetched, given everything else that's happened in the series…)**


	28. Turnabout Escape

**So it would seem that you guys haven't been driven away by that insane chapter I wrote (that makes me very happy. You have no idea how much it really does!). I'll be honest: I had that chapter drafted for about two months now. And from that point, I had no idea how to write out what happens next. Anyway, I was able to write out this chapter, hence why I posted it now. Enjoy!**

******_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Ace Attorney series characters!_**

Chapter 27 – Turnabout Escape

"Whoa. Are you okay?! You look like you were…" Apollo didn't finish the sentence.

"Yeah. I…honestly don't know how to explain this, but I am okay. What are you two doing here?"

"We got kidnapped. Someone brought us here," Trucy explained, relieved to see a familiar face.

"Hm…that's right. I heard the two of you disappeared. I'm glad you're okay. Mr. Wright and the others are _really_ worried about you two."

"Daddy," Trucy sadly sighed, thinking about Phoenix. She knew her daddy was probably panicking, and hoped that Iris and Athena were comforting him.

Apollo focused on the situation at hand. "So…what exactly are _you_ doing here?"

"I wish I knew. I guess I sort of…may have stumbled upon something that I shouldn't have, and someone figured it would be a good idea to knock me out. Do you two have any idea how we can get out of here?"

"Well, we were just going to go down that tunnel, and see where it leads us."

"Sounds like a good plan. Mind if I tag along?"

"Not at all! Let's go!"

* * *

Trucy and Apollo shared the story of how exactly they ended up getting kidnapped with their fellow hostage, and before they knew it, they found themselves in a little room at the end of the passageway. It looked just like the tunnel they walked through with the rocky walls, save for a metal door on one wall.

Apollo gripped the handle and heaved. After pushing and pulling a few times, he groaned and let go. "It's locked."

"Did you really expect it to be unlocked, Apollo?"

Apollo was going to counter Trucy, before he shook his head. "Ah, good point. But hey! At least I tried. I didn't want us to get into that situation where we just assume the door is locked, only to discover at the very last minute that it wasn't."

"That usually only happens in the movies, Apollo."

"Yeah, but at least we've established for sure that it's locked," he added, wanting to get the last word.

Serena examined the door. "Hm…it looks like we'll need a key for it. If we can find that, we should be able to get out of here."

"Now just where do you all think you're going?" The three of them spun around to see two large, burly men clad in all-black. They both had to be at least six feet tall.

"Oh! We were just taking a nice walk around, that's all!" Trucy replied sweetly, flashing her most adorable smile.

Her attempt at wooing them over with her adorableness did not work. "Heh. Nice try. You're supposed to stay here. Boss's orders."

"Who's your boss?" The oldest of the group questioned defiantly, crossing her arms and standing in front of the two youngsters.

"None of your concern, nosy brat."

Said nosy brat retreated, feeling a little intimidated by the men's deep voices and heights. She tried to figure out a plan in her head as to how they could get out of this confrontation as quickly and safely as possible, but nothing seemed to come to mind.

_Argh! What do we do?! _Apollo wracked his own brain for some way they could distract the men, but it was Trucy who took action.

"Hey! You want to see a magic trick?!" She asked enthusiastically.

"Trucy! Now's not the time for-" She whipped out her magic panties. _Oh no. Not those things again! Does she not realize these people are out to kill us?! _Apollo glanced over at the men. They didn't seem convinced, but they did watch what Trucy was doing. _They seem to be just as surprised as I was when I first saw them. _

"Hm! I wonder what I can get out of my magic panties today," she began, tapping her chin thoughtfully before putting a hand inside them. The first entity she pulled out was a live bunny.

"Whoa! How did you do that?!" One of the thugs asked, clearly impressed as he accepted the bunny from the magician, while Apollo struggled against the urge to roll his eyes. This was nothing new for him.

"Magic, of course!" Trucy giggled. "But that was too easy. Want to see me pull something else? Any requests?"

_Has she lost her marbles?! Seriously! This is no time to be giving a performance and showing off!_

"Er…um…pull out…oh! A box of pizza! We're starving!"

_Hm…Maybe if we distract them by giving them something to eat, we could somehow escape!_

"Pizza?" Trucy frowned before reaching inside the panties once more. "Hm…that might be hard to get…" She hadn't found anything after a minute.

_Great. Just when actually I thought she had things under control…_

He was rendered speechless when he saw her take out a piping hot box of pizza and handed it to the other man. "Be careful! It's hot!" She warned, grinning.

"Um…why didn't you get us any food a little while ago?! I'm hungry too!"

Trucy shrugged. "I knew you could wait. This is important."

_Really?! You'll give two thugs fresh pizza, but you won't pull out some food for your own brother?! _He stared at the article of clothing. _Then again… _His eyes landed on two men who were now sitting on the floor munching on the pizza. _My stomach can wait. _

"Er…Trucy. You…do have something in mind, don't you?" Serena asked quietly, not 100% sure where all of this was leading.

"Don't you worry," she whispered back. "I saved the best for last!" She cleared her throat. "Oh fellas?" They pried their eyes from the pizza and gave her their full attention. "I have one last magic trick to show you!"

"Oh, really?! Please show us!"

"Yeah! You're pretty talented, kid!"

Trucy bowed a little. "Why thank you! I perform at the Wonder Bar occasionally, if you'd like to drop by."

_Only Trucy would invite our kidnappers to her magic shows…_

"I like to call this little trick…" She paused for what everyone thought to be dramatic effect, "Ogafaum!"

_What?! I've never heard of that before!_

"What does that mean?"

_Good question, buddy._

"You'll see…" She wagged a finger. "Tee hee! Okay!" She pulled off her top hat and put her hand inside. "Hm…there's nothing in my hat." She flipped it on its side and held it out for Serena and Apollo to look in. And then she showed it to the two men. "Right?"

"Right…"

"Here it is: on the count of three!"

"One…" Thug one began.

"Two…" said the other thug.

"THREE!" Trucy ended.

"AH!" A huge burst of silly string, streamers, mini fireworks and sparkles came flying out of her hat and went right at the two kidnappers, who shrieked. After a minute, they were a heap on the ground, completely covered.

"Whoa. That was…unexpected," Apollo mused after a moment of speechlessness. He turned to Serena, who was still astounded. "Er…Serena. Are you okay?"

She shook herself. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little…thrown off." Her eyes scanned the room to find the keys. "Ah ha! There's the keys!" She pointed above the men to a hook which had a key ring containing three or four keys.

"You should be able to get them, Serena, no sweat. That silly string is like glue."

Trucy was right. The men were stuck in place, trying (but failing) to free themselves from the confining silly string. Serena cautiously walked over to them and stood on her tiptoes to reach the key ring. After two unsuccessful attempts, she managed to get them.

She ran over to the door and tried each ring in the whole as fast as she could, and the fourth and last key proved to work as the door swung open. "Let's escape out of here, you two!" She led the way, and Apollo followed right behind her. Trucy, however, turned around to watch see that their captors were still struggling.

"By the way, in case you were wondering, ogafaum stands for operation get away from abductors using magic!" She grinned at them. "Remember! I perform at the Wonder Bar, so you should definitely stop by if you can to see more magic tricks! Oh, but you'll probably be in jail." She dulled a little, before she came up with an idea. "Or maybe I could come do a show at the pris-"

"Come on Trucy!" Apollo yanked her by the arm.

"Bye!" She yelled.

The door led to a set of stairs, and upon climbing them, they found a door which led outside.

"Fresh air!" Apollo yelled aloud as his feet landed on grass.

"It's such a beautiful day!"

"It looks like this is a little house." They walked around to find the front door. "Hm…you two stay out here, and I'll go inside and see if they have a phone we could use to get help. If something seems off to you, run as fast as you can and get as far away from here, okay?"

They watched as she entered the house quietly, so as not to attract any attention from anyone who might be inside.

"Wait! Trucy! Couldn't you just pull out a phone from your…you know…"

Trucy nodded and was quick to do so. "Here….oh."

"Oh what?"

"This phone…it's dead."

"You're kidding right?" Trucy handed him the phone. "That' just great."

After a couple of minutes, Serena came out. "No luck. No phone or cellphone, or any means of communication whatsoever." She pulled something out of her pocket. "I did find a set of car keys though."

"Maybe they're for that white van over there," Apollo pointed out.

"You're probably right. Hm…we could use that to escape." They rushed to the white van, and with the keys from the house, she unlocked it. She spoke to Apollo. "You know how to drive, right?"

Apollo scratched his head. "Er…no, not really."

"You…don't have a license? A permit maybe?" He shook his head. "How about you, Tru- Never mind."

"You know how to drive, don't you Serena?"

"I do Trucy, but for one thing, I don't have my license on me. It's still in my office in the ER, and the more important problem here is that I don't have my glasses with me."

"Please tell me you're far-sighted." But Apollo knew that was highly unlikely.

"Near-sighted. Anyway, let's at least get inside this thing and lock ourselves in." Apollo sat in the passenger's side next to Serena, while Trucy sat in the back behind Serena. "Do you think you could pull out a pair of glasses for someone with 20/40 and 20/70 vision in their right and left eyes respectively from your p-er, your…magical…prop, Trucy?"

"…Sorry. That could take a while."

_A while?! I'd be shocked if you were able to do that at all! _

"Yes, I could do it, Polly. It would just take more time than we can spare, because the objects I usually pull out from them are usually very pretty huge." (**AN: Not sure if this is completely accurate, but from what I read online, she can pull out objects large than panties themselves, so let's just roll with this, hm?**)

_How…did she know what I was thinking? _

"Your face says it all. And I _am_ your little sister, or did you forget?!"

"Er…guys? Maybe we could…get back to, you know…"

"Right." Apollo realized they were dawdling. "But wait. How are we going to escape if you don't have glasses?"

"Mm…this is risky. Very, very, _very_ risky. But…it's not like we have another choice right now, unless of course we want to get caught." After a moment's hesitation, a heavy sigh of defeat was released. "Okay. Apollo, Trucy. I need you to be my eyes. Can you do that?"

"Sure!" Trucy was ready for this, holding up her clenched fists.

_I can't believe we're doing this. _"Yeah, sure. But…is this safe?" _I'm pretty sure it's not legal…_

"…No…it isn't. And I wouldn't recommend that anyone else do this, but…like I said, we have no other option. It'll be only matter of time before those two come outside." She started the car. "Trucy, you keep an eye in the back, and Apollo, you check the front."

_Note to self: have Mr. Wright teach me to…oh. Scratch that. Sign up for driver's ED as soon as we get out of this mess. _

"We should also try to remember how to get here, or find a location nearby so that the police can be directed here."

"Good thinking, Apollo. Alright. Here goes nothing. Everyone buckled up? This could be a bumpy ride." After the confirmation from everyone, the van began to move slowly, at about ten miles per hour. They pulled out of the driveway and onto the road.

"Don't you think we should go a little bit faster?" He asked the driver, who was hunched over, eyes squinting in a desperate attempt for clearer vision.

"Mm…yeah, I guess we should." They sped up to about 20 miles per hour, only five miles below speed limit.

"Unless my vision has deteriorated immensely, it looks like this is a long, straight road we're on right now, so nothing to worry about. Yet."

Apollo nodded, and he leaned back a little.

"EEK! Watch out!" The brakes were applied immediately, and they were all jerked forward before falling back against their seats.

"Oh my gosh! Are you two okay?!" _I knew this was a bad idea._

"Trucy! Did you see something?!" Apollo asked as he turned around to check the back.

She pointed forward. "There was a squirrel crossing the road in front of us!"

Apollo stared at her in disbelief. "Really, Trucy? You made that commotion for a squirrel?!"

"But he was cute! I didn't want us to run it over!" She argued in reply.

"Trucy. We're trying to get away from people out to kill us, and you're worried about running over a little squirrel?" Apollo huffed. "Besides, you're supposed to looking behind us, not in front!"

"But you obviously weren't watching the road properly, Polly!"

Before the siblings could further their arguments, a throat being cleared was heard. "How about this? Trucy, you watch the front, and Apollo will watch the back every once in a while, just to make sure no one's following us. It's more important for us to watch where we're going than what's coming behind us." They both quickly agreed. After a couple of minutes, she asked, "Is there anyone behind us, Apollo?"

"Nope. Not right now."

"Good. Okay Trucy. We're getting on the main road. What does that sign over there say?"

Trucy saw the big green sign. "It says General Hospital, and an arrow to the right."

"Really? That must lead to the highway then. If we can get onto it alright, I think I might be able to get us back to safety."

"But aren't there a lot of cars on the highway? Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"…Now that you mention it, it might not be such a good idea." The highway was the place where they were much more likely to get into an accident. "I guess we can keep going straight and see where that takes us."

* * *

_I thought she'd keep those papers at her apartment, but since they weren't, they have to here in the office! But I've been searching for so long! Where could they be?!_

A knock was heard on the door. "Sorry. Come back later. I'm busy."

"This is the LAPD, pal. Now open up." Nothing. "We know you're in there, so open this door." Still nothing. "Don't make us break it down, pal."

"Fine, fine." The door opened to reveal Detective Gumshoe, with a few police officers behind him. "What do you want?" Dr. Emilio did a once-over of the detective. "I don't have time to waste on lowlifes like you, you know."

Gumshoe gasped. "Hey! You're…you were at the police department. You worked as an officer there! What was your name…oh right! Obnoxious Otty!"

"It's Otis, and I am not obnoxious. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have things to do, patients to see."

"Not so fast, pal. We're not here for a visit. We're here to arrest you."

"Arrest me?!" He asked, feigning shock. "Why would you do something horrendous like that?!"

"Oh hush up, pal." Gumshoe took hold of the man and pinned him against the wall. "You're under arrest for the murder of Thalassa Gramarye, and under the suspicion of murdering Dr. Sterling."

"What?! I didn't murder her!"

"Yeah, yeah, pal. Whatever you say. We're taking you down to the precinct."

"This is that prosecutor's doing, isn't it?!"

"Prosecutor?"

"Yes, that deplorable man, Edgeworth!"

"Hey! Don't say that about Mr. Edgeworth, pal!" Gumshoe's grip on the man tightened. "Mr. Edgeworth is a respectable man. You should look in the mirror if you want to see a deplorable one."

"Gr…This is preposterous. Me, Otis Emilio, getting arrested?!"

"What's preposterous is that you were once on the force," Gumshoe muttered. His grip on the criminal had weakened, and Emilio took the chance to slip away.

"Hey! Come back here!" Gumshoe ran after him. "Come on, boys! We can't let him escape!" _Mr. Edgeworth will be furious if we do!_

* * *

"You two see any familiar sights yet?"

"Nope."

"No."

"I was worried you might say that. You'd think there'd be some kind of store or at least a gas station somewhere around here!"

They'd been driving for a good ten minutes at about 20 miles per hour, but they hadn't spotted a single sign of civilization anywhere, other than the highway exit they passed a while back.

Apollo glanced over. She was even more hunched over, and her brows looked to be furrowed to the limit. "Are you okay? You want to pull over?"

"No, no. I'll be fine. We need to somehow find our way back to the city, and you two back to Mr. Wright and the others. Or at the very least a place where we can stop and call the police."

Apollo nodded, before turning his head to look behind them. Eyes widened, he quickly turned back. "Um…there's…someone behind us."

"There is? Who? The kidnappers?!"

Trucy checked too. "No. The police."

"Police? Hm…they could just be following us." As soon as she said that, the lights went on. "Never mind." She pulled over to the side and stopped, keeping her hands on the steering wheel and rolling down the window.

An officer came over. "License and registration please."

This was going to be a bit of a problem. "Um…you see, officer. I don't have my license on me, but…" She added quickly seeing his disapproving look, "I know the number on it." She told him the number.

"Vehicle registration please."

"Hey Apollo. Can you check the glove compartment for registration?"

He opened it, only to find it completely empty.

"Oh…see, there's an explanation for this, officer. You see, we've been kidnapped, and we're escaping from the people who kidnapped us. We sort of borrowed their vehicle in the process."

"You've been kidnapped?" The officer looked from the driver to the two younger passengers. "Give me your names, kids."

"Apollo Justice."

"Trucy Wright."

After typing their names into his handheld, he nodded. "Looks like you two have been reported missing." His eyes narrowed at the driver. "You, on the other hand, have not."

"Oh. That's…weird." She noticed that the man had a very skeptical look on his face. "Wait! You don't think that I…them?" She pointed to them. "No way! I'm escaping with them!"

"Yeah officer! She's right!" Trucy added.

"She's with us!"

"Hm…how can I believe that? For all I know, you could've threatened these kids into not talking."

"I'm an ER doctor! My name's Serena Sterling! Search me in your database!"

"What does you being a doctor have to do with anything?" Nevertheless, he did as she said, and his eyes widened. "Hold on. Serena Sterling…that's the name of the dead doctor."

"Excuse me? Dead?!" _Is…this some kind of joke?!_

"According to this, you're deceased."

Serena exchanged confused glances with Apollo and Trucy before turning back to the officer, responding slowly. "Um…I can assure you officer, I'm not dead. I'm very much alive."

"Hm…how do I know you are who you say you are?"

"Don't you have a picture of me? You know, like my driver's license picture?! Or something like that on file?!"

"'Fraid not. If you had your license with you, this wouldn't be an issue."

"Er…maybe you could do a Google search of my name? Surely, there should be a picture of me on the internet!" She suggested. After a quick Google search, he frowned deeply. "No…images?" She asked weakly. _Maybe asking to not have my profile picture posted on the hospital's website was a not-so-smart idea after all…_

"I don't appreciate being lied to." He was getting increasingly annoyed by the minute.

This was beyond outrageous, but Serena kept her calm composure. "I'm not lying, officer. I don't know how to convince you of who I am. But why would I want to kidnap these two?! What's my motive?"

"Well I'll have to bring you to the station to find that out, won't I? Now, I'll need you to step out of the vehicle, ma'am, with your hands up."

"What about Trucy and Apollo? What are you going to do with them?!"

"They'll be fine. I'll take 'em back to home. Now stop stalling."

Obediently, Serena exited the car, hands up. _Well, that's a relief. At least they'll be home safe and sound soon enough. _She felt the cuffs around her wrists and heard him state the Miranda rights. _Looks like I'll need to call Mr. Wright to help me out yet again…_

Trucy and Apollo watched as another police car pulled up, and Serena was ushered inside and driven by the officer that had pulled them over.

"I can't believe they just arrested her," Trucy said to Apollo after a minute of silence.

"Yeah, but I'm sure she'll be fine." He crossed his arms and leaned back in the seat. "I just want to get back to the office."

"Me too! And I want to see everyone! Athena, Iris, Daddy…oh, and Charley too!"

_The way she talks, you would think that Charley was a human being. _

A female officer came over. "Come on, kids. I'll take you back home. Where are the two of you from?"

"Er…we need you to take us to the Wright Anything Agency," Apollo directed.

"Yeah! That's where our family's probably waiting for us!"

As Apollo and Trucy were escorted into the patrol car, Apollo was engrossed in his thoughts. _Our…family. That's right…our family is waiting for us, I'm sure. And boy can I not wait to see them. _

**Probably one of the most random chapters I have ever written, I have to say (and Trucy's little trick there? I reread that and was like, "What was I thinking?!"). One thing's for sure: this story is going to be seeing its end pretty soon. But I've got a few loose strings to tie up, don't I? Please feel free to review and/or private message me! Thanks!**


	29. Turnabout Homecoming

**I'm trying to get this story wrapped up quickly. I feel like it's gone on for far too long. I hope you guys are still enjoying (and if you're not and I'm boring you to tears, then I am very sincerely sorry)!**

**********_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Ace Attorney series characters!_**

Chapter 28 – Turnabout Homecoming

Phoenix, Athena, and Iris sat in the office, again in silence. Another day had gone by, and Trucy and Apollo had yet to be found.

Phoenix, who was sitting at his desk, thought about what Edgeworth had informed him, about who was the mastermind behind the whole kidnapping.

_Kristoph...I can't believe it was him...and that he's Thalassa's half-brother. That guy really is demented._ That's what worried him. The former defense attorney was clearly insane, and to think that his daughter and Apollo were in some way, shape, or form in his custody, it sent shivers down Phoenix's back. He was very scared for their lives, and it didn't help that Kristoph had the doctor killed already. _  
_  
Iris was on the sofa, holding onto Mr. Hat once more, something she found herself doing most of the time at the agency these days. She prayed very hard that the two siblings would return safe and sound, but from seeing her boyfriend's lack of optimism, she was very anxious.

Athena was watering Charley. _I've been watering Charley these past few days, but he's withering a little. It's almost as if he knows Apollo and Trucy aren't here._

Everyone looked up when a firm knock was heard on the door. Phoenix stood up and approached the door, while Iris went to look out the window.

"Who is it, Iris?"

"There's a police car out there, Feenie."

_Police car?_

Fear consumed the defense attorney immediately. Taking in a shaky breath, he opened the door.

"DADDY!"

Phoenix felt himself be attacked by a bear hug. He took a moment to overcome the shock before he looked down to see that it was none other than…

"T-Trucy?!" He asked quietly. This was starting to seem more like a dream, one from which he would yanked out of at any minute.

"It's me, Daddy!" Trucy smiled brightly up at him, only to gasp. "Daddy…are you okay?"

She hadn't expected to see him with tears pooling in his eyes. "Trucy…honey, I am so, so, so…happy to see you!" As he hugged Trucy, he saw that the red-clad lawyer was with her. "Apollo."

"Mr. Wright."

Iris had run over and went to wrap her arms around Phoenix and Trucy. "Trucy! I'm so glad you're okay!" Trucy just smiled at Iris and welcomed the warmth of another person. Iris saw Apollo. "You too Apollo. Come on," she motioned for him to join the hug.

"Er…" He hesitated, feeling a little awkward.

"Come here, Apollo." Athena had swooped an arm around his shoulder before pulling him into the now group hug. "You two…are in so much trouble! We told you to be careful when you went out, but…" Athena scolded, but she had tears streaming from her eyes, and she was smiling. "It's so great to see you two! We all missed you so much. Too much!"

Everyone in the group hug eventually shed their tears of joy and relief. The Wright Anything Agency family was finally reunited.

"Heh, heh. Sorry to interrupt the reunion, but I just need to let you know that Trucy and Apollo will need to come down to the station sometime soon, like in the next couple of days, to report what happened," the police officer explained.

Agreeing to do so, Apollo and Trucy thanked her.

Trucy walked inside the agency and said hi to the many objects there, starting with Charley and Mr. Hat.

"Hey you two. How about you tell us what happened? Are you two okay?!" Iris ushered for all of them to sit on the couches.

Phoenix excused himself and grabbed his phone from his desk so he could relay the good news to his friend.

* * *

The prosecutor was at the precinct, more specifically on his way to the detention center when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. "This is Edgeworth."

"Edgeworth. They're okay. They're back."

"Who? Trucy and Mr. Justice?!"

"Yes."

_What a relief._

"Oh, and another thing, Edgeworth. She's alive."

"Who's she?"

"Serena."

"Wh-what?! But Wright, that photo..."

"I know, but according to them, she was with them when they escaped, and apparently, she's at the police station right now."

"Is she now?" _I should go find her..._ "Alright then. I appreciate you letting me know, Wright. Are they okay?"

"Those two? Heh. They're recalling the whole story to Iris and Athena. They seem pretty excited about it too."

Edgeworth could hear Trucy enthusiastically retelling the adventure, with Apollo cutting in every once in a while. _Heh. Of course. It's hard to get them down that easily._ "I need to get going, Wright."

"Sure Edgeworth. Keep in touch, and thanks for you help."

"Hmph. I hardly did anything for you to be thanking me. Goodbye." He hung up. He had intended to visit the recently apprehended doctor, but decided to find the presumably 'dead' doctor.

"Excuse me. Is there a Ms. Sterling here?" He asked one of the officers nearby.

"Chief Prosecutor, sir! Sterling? Why, yes. She's in the detention center."

_Detention center? _"Thank you." That's where Edgeworth went to next, and not too long after, he was standing in the visitor's room.

And in through the door on the other side of the glass walked the 'deceased' Serena Sterling.

_She's wearing that same outfit from the photograph…_

"Mr. Edgeworth," she greeted him.

"Ms. Sterling…I must say it's a surprise to see you here." _And alive. _

"Hm…yes. I didn't exactly expect myself to land in here. Again."

"Why are you here anyway?"

"I was escaping with Trucy and Apollo, and we got pulled over by the police. Long story short, I got arrested on the suspicion of having kidnapped them." She crossed her arms. "Because apparently, there's this belief going around that I died. You wouldn't happen to know why that is, do you?"

"I do. Wright received a threatening note saying that Trucy and Apollo would be targeted next, and the photo was of you, presumably dead."

"…Oh. I see."

"Is that blood on your front, Ms. Sterling?" He pointed to the front of her scrubs, which had a huge blood-red circle on it.

She shook her head. "No, it's not. It's some kind of red liquid, but definitely not blood."

Now he crossed his arms. "Do you have any idea who might have kidnapped you?"

"Not really."

"Perhaps it has something to do with one Dr. Emilio?" Her eyes darted up at him. "I happened to do a search of your office after your…disappearance, and I came across those notes you made tracking the movements of your coworker, and his involvement in Ms. Gramarye's death."

"Did you now? I should probably be mad at you for going through my desk without my permission, but…I'm not. Actually, I'm glad. I was going to tell you all about it that day."

He tapped his finger against his arm, a disapproving frown forming on his face. "You really should've mentioned this as soon as you had suspicions. It was rather irresponsible of you to keep such sensitive information to yourself until the last minute."

"As right as you may be, I have to disagree. I needed to do enough investigating to make sure I could prove he did it. The last thing I would want was for me to have overlooked something and have falsely accused him of a crime." She glowered. "Especially given how much the board likes him, if I did something like that, I could get into some serious trouble." She turned back to him. "Besides, I _was_ going to tell you that day."

"But you ended up getting kidnapped," he countered.

"Fine. I concede. Should such a thing ever happen, which I really hope it doesn't, I'll tell you immediately. So what's happened since I've…'died'?"

"He's been arrested."

"He has?!" She asked a bit too eagerly. Clearing her throat, she calmed down, trying to contain her satisfaction. "It's about time he got caught. Has he admitted to his crime?"

"No. From what I've heard, he's been very inflexible and won't admit anything."

"Figures. The obnoxious jerk."

They looked up to see the same officer who had arrested her walking in. "Well Dr. Sterling. I guess you were right. Sorry for questioning your identity."

She shrugged. "I don't blame you. I would be doubtful too, especially since people thought I was dead." She stood up. "So I'm free to go, right?"

"Not yet."

"Oh?" Her smile faded.

"You may not be a kidnapper, but you did break the law. You drove without a license."

"But I did remember my license number, didn't I?"

"Yes, but that isn't the only reason why you're in trouble. You drove without corrective lenses, Dr. Sterling."

_She what?!_

She saw Edgeworth give her a shocked look. "It's not like I really had another choice! It was either that or let Apollo try driving!" She explained before sighing. "Okay then, officer. What's my charge? A fine to pay?"

"Nope. You technically have two offenses against you, so your driver's license will be suspended."

She grimaced. "For how long?"

"Two months."

She nodded her head. "I…can live with that. But other than that, I'm free, right?"

"Yes, you're free to go."

"Excellent. Thank you so much." She turned to the prosecutor. "Is he here? Dr. Emilio?"

"He is. I was going to pay him a visit."

"If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to come with you."

"Mm…well I suppose it wouldn't hurt."

In a matter of minutes, Serena was in the visitor's room with Edgeworth, and they both waited patiently until Dr. Emilio came in.

Serena didn't bother to greet him or give him the chance to settle down. "You scoundrel! How dare you deny that you didn't kill Ms. Gramarye?! What kind of doctor are you?! No, you can't even call yourself a doctor!"

"Glad to see you're alive and well, Serena. You do know I was ordered to kill you, right? But I didn't. I spared you your life, and made everyone think you died. You should thank me."

"I didn't ask you to save my life, but I guess I should thank you for that. Although, you were the one to chloroform me, right?"

"If you hadn't gotten involved, you would've stayed safe and sound, Serena. Why did you have to stick your nose in my private affairs?! Your job is just to save lives."

"Yes, that's true. But when a patient in my care passes away, I believe it's my personal responsibility to find out how they died and why." She glared at him. "And I won't let anyone, especially a fake doctor, get in my way."

"I am a doctor. I have a medical license, like you."

"You _killed_ someone, and yet you have the audacity to call yourself a doctor?!"

_Oh my. If looks could kill, that man would be dead at least twenty times. _

"Ms. Sterling…perhaps you should calm dow-"

"Sorry Mr. Edgeworth, but I can't just calm down!" She shifted her eyes back to Emilio. "Why?! Why kill someone? What did that poor woman do to you?!"

"Part of my job."

"Part of your job?! What kind of job do you have?"

"A difficult one, that's for sure." He then smiled that annoyingly suave smile of his. "But why all the hostility, love? I thought we were getting along nicely, especially after our little date, although I didn't like how you kicked me out of the ER the other day."

"Ha! Only a fool like you would think that was a date. Not only did I make it all too clear it was a friendly outing, I had an ulterior motive. I thought going with you would help me figure out whose dirty work you doing, and that's exactly how I figured out the initials of your accomplices."

"You…you what?! So…you weren't genuinely interested in our date?! No…I can't believe that. You seemed so…"

She laughed a little. "Do you have any idea what the family I grew up with was like? They were the Bandits. If I learned nothing else from them, I did learn how to deceive people. And you have to admit, I did a pretty good job, even if it was my first and I assure you, last time!"

Emilio was silent, as was Edgeworth. _Looks like Ms. Sterling's got more of a backbone than I thought she did. I just hope she doesn't go around deceiving other people though. Myself included. _

He decided to intervene. "So you admit to having killed Ms. Gramarye then, Mr. Emilio?" He caught himself from referring to the man as doctor, a title he was undeserving of.

"What difference does it make? You have proof against me. I did it."

_Criminals…How is it possible for them to say they took a human life so casually? _

"You know who my boss is Serena?"

She had been quiet until then. "Er…no. Why?"

"Perhaps this name might ring a bell." Serena crossed her arms, highly doubtful. "Kristoph Gavin."

Her eyes widened at the name. "Did…you just say, who I think you said?"

"Mmhm."

"You know Kristoph Gavin, Ms. Sterling?"

"I've heard of him. An insane murderer, isn't he?" She said with bitterness in her voice even she didn't know was capable of. "To think a man behind bars could do this much damage, and ultimately be the reason why one of _my_ patients passed away…" She shook her head. "Makes my blood boil."

"Anything else the two of you need? I really don't like to waste my time."

Serena and Edgeworth both shot a glare at him, causing him to shrink away. "For now, nothing. What about you, Ms. Sterling?"

She sighed again. "No. I should really get home, Mr. Edgeworth. Sabrina's going to be really worried about me. And I really don't want to waste anymore of my time on this wannabe."

"Right. I need to get back to the office. Take care."

* * *

Edgeworth was more than relieved to hear that Trucy and Apollo were back, and Dr. Emilio was arrested. The only question that remained was who was the person who killed Mr. Huntley. Detective Gumshoe had informed him that while Emilio did admit to placing poison into Thalassa's IV, he claimed not to have killed the other man, and did not say who the real murderer was.

_Who could this other murderer be?! How could we have let them slip through the cracks?! There must be something we're missing…_

* * *

Serena exited the elevator and headed over to her apartment door. She stood there for a moment before going to Sabrina's apartment, which was right next door. She knocked a couple of times, with no one answering.

_She must be in my apartment then. _She walked over and knocked. Slowly, the door cracked open, and there was a wide-eyed Sabrina, staring at her. "R-Rena? I-is that really you?!"

Serena shrugged, smiling. "Who else would it be?"

"Rena!" The blonde squeezed the doctor tightly in her arms, to the point that Serena could barely breathe.

"Sabrina! Kind of…mushed here."

"Oh gee, sorry! I'm just really happy to see you! Are you okay?! What happened?!" Sabrina ushered her friend inside.

"I got kidnapped and then arrested. I…actually don't really want to talk about it now, if you don't mind."

"Oh…sure. Okay. Whenever you're ready, I'll be ready to listen. So…what are you going to do now?"

"Probably get some sleep. It is only five, but…" She yawned. "All the craziness from today's made really tired."

"Sounds good. I'll be going out for a bit, but if you need anything, let me know, right?"

"Right. See you later." Serena waved and watched the door shut behind her best friend. She flopped down unceremoniously on the sofa and almost immediately fell asleep.

* * *

"_The tables will turn on you. Just you wait." _

"_Is that a threat…or a promise?"_

"_Consider it a promise." _

"_Well then. I hope you intend to keep it." _

**Despite the fact that story should be done very soon, I had to a little suspense here with the last part. Feel free to review or private message me! Thanks!**


	30. Almost to the Turnabout

**Kind of a filler chapter, this one. Most of the chapters will be like this from here on out, save for chapter 30. Yeah…enjoy!**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Ace Attorney series characters!**_

Chapter 29 – Almost to the Turnabout (**AN: More like the ending, but...I don't come up with good chapter titles**)

The next day, at the Wright Anything Agency…

"Hey guys! Guess who decided to come with me?" Athena asked in a sing-song voice as she entered the office, dragging a certain prosecutor with her.

"Prosecutor Blackquill. Nice to see you here," Apollo said.

The samurai prosecutor nodded his head. Trucy had been talking to Charley, but quickly made her way towards them. "Hey Prosecutor Blackquill!" She beamed. "How are you feeling? Any better?"

"Yes," he replied in a low voice.

"Whoa. Your…your voice!" Apollo exclaimed. "It's…pretty croaky."

Athena nodded. "You think his voice is hoarse now? You should've heard him a few days ago! It was so gravelly!"

Simon shot a glare at her before turning to Trucy, who asked him, "So what brings you to the Wright Anything Agency, Prosecutor Blackquill?"

"He's-"

"Cykes-dono," he cut in. "Please let me speak for myself."

"But you aren't supposed to strain your voice. Doctor's orders remember? Unless of course, you want to just extend how long your voice is going to sound like this." Athena crossed her arms, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Or…you know, considering the worst case scenario, your voice might just stay like this forever, or even turn squeaky!" She started laughing. "Oh, I would never be able to face you in court if you were squeaking! I'd be too busy laughing!"

"Fine, fine. You talk." He crossed his arms, eyes looking up and away from them.

Athena recovered from her episode of laughter. "The reason why Simon is here, you two, was that he wanted to see how you two were doing." She leaned closer to them, covering her mouth with her hand as she whispered, "Though he won't admit it, he was actually worried about you two, especially after hearing that Kristoph Gavin had something to do with your disappearance."

"Aw! Prosecutor Blackquill! I'm glad you were so concerned about us!" Trucy wrapped her arms around the man, who nearly jumped back in surprise. After staring at her little form for a minute, he gently patted her back, unable to really return the hug.

"Apollo!" A new voice exclaimed. A rush of pink went by them and nearly tackled Apollo.

"Juniper!" He returned her hug.

Pulling away, she smiled brightly at him. "Apollo. I am so glad that you're okay! I was so worried about you!"

"I'm glad to be back too, Juniper. And it's great to see you."

She frowned, holding her hands in front of her and looking to the side. "I would've come yesterday, but I was with my parents, but I made sure to get here as soon as I could."

The guests didn't end there.

"After you, Fraulein Detective."

"Ha. As if I'd let you walk in first!" Ema marched into the agency, a smirk on her face. It immediately disappeared upon seeing Apollo and Trucy. "Boy am I glad to see the two of you here! It was hard being at the precinct and hearing about the kidnapping."

"Ema! It's nice to see you." _You don't come by here often…_

"And Prosecutor Gavin too!" Trucy piped in.

"Little Fraulein, Herr Forehead. You two had everyone very worried."

"You included?" Ema suddenly asked.

"Why, of course, Fraulein Detective. I couldn't bear to think what I would do without my courtroom rival and my little magician."

"Aw, shucks!" Trucy waved a hand in the air, although her cheeks turned red.

_Wow. You only consider me a rival, huh? Gee, I thought I reached friend-status by now. _

"Oh! This is like a nice little welcome back party, isn't it Apollo?!"

"Yeah, it does sort of seem like that, doesn't it?"

Phoenix entered the office with Iris, and both were surprised to see so many visitors. "Whoa. What's the occasion?"

"Daddy! We're having a welcome-back party!"

"For the two of you?"

"Mmhm!"

"But…we didn't plan anything, did we?"

"No…but maybe we could do something small? Oh! Maybe you could buy all of us some noodles, Daddy!"

There was a hum of approval through the small crowd. Phoenix sighed heavily. _Oh…my poor wallet. _He felt a hand on his arm.

"Come on Feenie. Those noodles aren't going to get themselves."

_Even my girlfriend doesn't care about my wallet…Oh well. She's right. _

"Did someone say noodles?!"

"Kay!" Trucy exclaimed. "What are you doing here?!"

"Mr. Edgeworth told me that the two of you were found, and I figured I'd swing by and say hello. But…I guess I could stay for some noodles, if you don't mind!"

"We don't mind at all, do we Daddy?'

Phoenix smiled weakly. Apollo snickered to himself. _Mr. Wright sure looks happy right now. I can just hear his wallet sobbing. _

"All we need now is for Mr. Edgeworth to be here, oh! And Serena too."

"Good luck with Mr. Edgeworth. I tried to get him to come with me now, but of course he wouldn't. But he did want me to say hi to all of you," Kay relayed.

"Oh well! We can have another little get-together with Mr. Edgeworth later, when he isn't busy!"

_Hm…Maybe I could get him to pay for everything then. _"Sounds like a plan, Trucy!"

* * *

"So he still refuses to reveal the other member of their group?"

"Yeah, sir. He won't budge, no matter what. Says he was sworn to secrecy."

_But then why did he mention Gavin's name? Argh! This is insane! How could a murderer escape like this, without a trace? _

"Have you searched his home?"

"His apartment? Yeah, sir. But we couldn't find anything there, at least…nothing that would help with the case."

"Meaning…you found something?"

"Er…well, yeah sir. We did."

"Well, what did you find?"

"His girlfriend's stuff, Mr. Edgeworth. Clothes, mainly dresses."

"G-girlfriend?!" _He has a girlfriend?! And to think, he was pursuing Ms. Sterling…_

"Well, we think she's his girlfriend. Unless it's his wife's stuff, but he said he wasn't married, so…"

"Detective. I want you to get any and all information on his…female acquaintance, posthaste."

"I'm on it, sir! You think…maybe she has something to do with it?"

"Not necessarily, but it certainly wouldn't hurt to know her identity. Perhaps she could shed some light on the matter." Edgeworth thought for a moment. "Detective Gumshoe. Was there anything peculiar about these clothes you found?"

"Oh…I…I'm not sure, sir. We just kind saw them. Why do you ask?"

"…No reason. Just…wondering."

"Actually, now that you mention it, there was something weird about them."

"What was that?!"

"They weren't exactly very well-made. They were…kind of bizarre-looking, like some amateur made them or something."

_Hm…_

"Uh…sir? Are you still there? Hello?"

"I'm here. I was just thinking. Very well, detective. I might come down to the precinct later today."

"I look forward to your visit, Mr. Edgeworth sir. See ya!"

Hanging up the phone, Edgeworth considered everything Gumshoe had just told him, and thought back to the little information known about the other member of the group. He had a person in mind, someone who seemed to be a suspect. There was only one problem.

_Was this person involved in the murder of Ms. Gramarye somehow? And what about Mr. Huntley? Could this suspect be the one we've been looking for? _

He stood up and began walking to his door. _It looks like I should get to precinct now. I can't put this off, especially if my suspicion is correct…_

**So…yeah. Any idea who Edgeworth has in mind? I wanted to write more, but I feel like it would be a dead giveaway of who's the third and final person. You'll find out in the next chapter, but in the meantime, send me reviews/PMs telling me who you think it is, if you have a guess (or if you just want to leave a review, that's fine too)! Thanks! **


	31. Turnabout Surrender

_**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Ace Attorney series characters!**_

Chapter 30 – Turnabout Surrender

At the precinct, that same day…

"Dr. Sterling. What are you doing here, pal?"

"Detective Gumshoe. I'm here…to turn someone in."

"Turn someone in? Who is it, pal?" This got Edgeworth's attention. _She isn't alone. She's brought her friend with her. _

"The last and final person of the group you've been hunting down. A person whose identity was hidden for the longest time. In other words, S.R." Serena had her head down, but she turned to her right, and looked up.

"Rena! Wh-what are you doing?!"

"I…I have to do this, Sabrina. I'm sorry," she replied quietly, her eyes going down to the floor.

The blonde woman's facial expression turned into one full of fear. "You're…you're not going to turn me in, are you?"

Serena didn't face her best friend as she spoke. "I…don't have a choice. You're my best friend Sabrina, but…I can't let that fact blind me from the other fact that you committed a crime. I'm not going to keep quiet about this."

"So…you're not going to defend me? You're going to rat me out? Of course you would. I should've known."

Serena turned around. "Sabrina. This isn't easy on me, you know. Do you think I take some kind of sick pleasure from seeing you get convicted for a crime?! I don't! I don't want to have to point to my best friend and say she's a criminal, but I can't ignore what you said and did, whether you're my friend or not." She then added, "If you were in my situation, I would expect you to do the same!"

"Pal, what's going on here?"

"Sabrina Reece is the one who planned the murder of Mr. Huntley. She admitted it to me, last night, while she was under the influence." Serena pulled out an object from her phone.

"Hey! That's my phone!"

"This has records of her plans she made with a certain doctor and her boss." She handed it to Gumshoe.

"She's lying! I would never do something like that!" The woman argued.

"Sorry pal, but we need more evidence than this phone."

"Detective Gumshoe. What about the investigation you were doing? Did that warrant any results?" That was the reason why Edgeworth had come to the precinct.

"Hm? Oh yeah. We brought some stuff back from his apartment that we're sure were his…female friend's."

"Do a fingerprint analysis then." Edgeworth turned to Sabrina, who was silently fuming and glaring at Serena. "Certainly, if you didn't do it, you wouldn't mind allowing the police to take some of your fingerprints?"

"Er…mm…urk!"

_It's quite obvious it was her. It makes sense. Her initials are S.R, she's an amateur fashion designer… _"Admit it, Ms. Reece. It was indeed you who killed Mr. Huntley." _The question now is motive. _

"What's my motive, huh? What would I get out of Huntley's death?!"

_That's the essential question, isn't it? _

"It's too late, Sabrina. Just give up," Serena said tiredly. "You can only deny this for so long, so just tell us why you did it."

The blonde woman glared at her once more before going on a rant. "You're a coward Serena! You know it, and I know it! You may have everyone else here fooled with your cool and confident façade, but I know that deep down, you're nothing but a lonely, lost, insecure little girl. The same girl I met all those years ago! You haven't changed one little bit! But I did. I had you fooled! I made you think that I was the same girl who became best friends with you when we were younger! But I changed, Serena."

Now it was Serena's turn to get upset. "Why? I don't understand though! I…I never thought you…you would do something like this to me! Why resort to murder, huh?!"

"You want to know why?! Because they promised me fame and money, influence, power! I wanted all of that! I didn't want to work too hard doing fashion designing and what not. I want to enjoy life and pay as little a price as I needed to! That's when I came to a harsh realization." She smirked.

"You would never get me there. I needed to make the right friends with the right people if I wanted all of that. That's how I ended up getting involved in this group. And I had to use you, but you know what?! I don't care! You were just an instrument that turned into an annoying thorn in our sides. Emilio was supposed to kill you, but that idiot. He actually fell for you so much that he couldn't get the guts to do it. I vowed to do the deed today."

_Hold on. Is she saying that she planned to…murder her own best friend?!_

"Wait. You never explained why Mr. Huntley was killed," Edgeworth interjected.

"Aren't you supposed to be a genius prosecutor? You should've figured it out yourself! Huntley was getting in the way of Gavin's plans to kill off Thalassa and torture Mr. Wright and Thalassa's son. He was a part of our group, but ended up betraying us. I didn't kill him. Rather, I was an accomplice. I helped with every murder. His and Thalassa's. I was 'interning' at Huntley's psychiatric office, and I overheard the conversation he had with Apollo, one in which he said they were going to meet at the park. I told Mr. Gavin, who told me to deal with Huntley accordingly."

"And by deal with, he meant murder."

"Very good, genius prosecutor. Emilio and I figured it out. I watched that defense attorney with the weirdo hair, and planned out the whole murder for Emilio, who just had to do the actually dirty work, and made it look like that lawyer did it."

"Ah, so it was Emilio who killed Mr. Huntley!" Edgeworth exclaimed. _That…idiotic doctor. I wish I had considered him before. It makes much more sense now. _

"Huntley would've spilled the beans to that kid about what we had planned, and everything would've been ruined. I couldn't let that happen, neither could Emilio or Gavin."

_Hm…so that's why Mr. Huntley went to meet with Apollo. To warn him, not to tell him about his family…_

"So…you're admitting to the crime?" Gumshoe asked, a little confused.

"I'm not a murderer, at least, I won't be. I could've been, if it hadn't been for a nosy little brat." Her eyes were on Serena. "Like I said, I planned everything. The crimes and all. Even Thalassa's death was my idea. I found out that she had been taken to the hospital from our apartment complex, and Emilio was at the hospital at night. A couple of phone calls, and the plan was executed. He poisoned her."

_So Gavin was the boss, the person who wanted things to happen. And this woman…she was the mastermind behind all of this…the one who came up with the attacks. She's clearly mastered the act of deception too well. _

"You…you helped him do that?! You helped him kill a patient – no – _my _patient?"

"Mmhm, although I didn't know at the time she was your patient. Ironic, not that I really minded, except I had to deal with miserable self around the apartment after that. Then, in my drunken state, I figured your loyalty to me was so great that I could tell you my little dirty secret, and you would never dare tell anyone. Some friend you turned out to be."

"I think we've heard enough, pal." Gumshoe took out his handcuffs and arrested Sabrina. "It's just a matter of time before we get everything from your apartment and find evidence there to get you your guilty verdict."

Before she was escorted away, Sabrina turned around. "Mark my words, Serena Sterling. From this point forward, you're going to be lonely and sad for the rest of your pathetic little life."

All of a sudden, Serena's demeanor changed. Gone was her shock and disbelief. She couldn't help the smirk that appeared on her face. "Heh. Funny you should say 'from this point forward.'" She turned around, eyes locked with her former best friend's. "Because that's what I've always been, right? Lonely and sad. And you know what? I'm probably going to stay that way until the day I die." She shrugged, tilting her head nonchalantly as her eyes narrowed a little. "Makes no difference to me. But at least I'm not a criminal who shows no guilt whatsoever at having helped rob people of their lives."

With that, a couple of officers came in and took her away to be locked up behind bars.

_Hmph. Such a petty motive for getting involved in a crime ring like this. _

"Mr. Edgeworth. You…you knew it was her, didn't you?" Detective Gumshoe asked. "I could just tell when you saw her."

"Hm…yes. The idea crossed my mind while we were on the phone just a while ago, and I came down here to discuss it with you."

"Of course you'd have figured it out, sir!" Gumshoe said proudly.

_I didn't really figure it out. I just suspected it to be her. I had no clue what her motive was. _

"Ah. That reminds me. I think you should bring in that doctor who was responsible for the autopsy report of Mr. Huntley. I have a strong suspicion he might have something to do with this whole mess."

"Right sir! Will do."

"Maybe you would know how to contact him, Ms.-" He stopped short, looking around to see no sign of the doctor.

"I guess she left," Gumshoe said.

"Right. Oh well. I'm sure you'll be able to get to him soon enough, so long as Ms. Reece's arrest doesn't get leaked out to the public before then. I need to return to my office and get started on some paperwork."

_Looks like I have a lot of cases to look forward to dealing with. I'll place Blackquill on Ms. Reece's case. And perhaps Franziska would like to handle Emilio? Ah yes, that sounds good. _Edgeworth smirked. There'd be a lot of whip cracking in _that_ courtroom.

He walked outside, only to find a familiar figure standing near the bus stop.

_What is she still doing here? _

"Er…Ms. Sterling. What are you doing here?"

"Hm?" The woman was obviously lost in her thoughts. "Sorry. I was just waiting for the bus."

"Oh." _What exactly do I say to her? _"Good day then, Ms. Sterling."

""Um…Mr. Edgeworth? Can…I ask you something?"

"Hm…I don't have a lot of time on my hands, but I suppose I could spare a couple of minutes."

She was silent for a moment before she asked, ""I know what I did was right, turning her in and all…but…just because it _is_ right…doesn't mean it _felt_ right. Do…you think it's a bad thing? That I sent her to jail, but that I didn't really want to? I mean, that's pretty much saying I sent a criminal to prison but I didn't want to do it. Ugh. I feel like such a hypocrite."

"Well, the position you were in was quite difficult. It was either keep the secret your best friend told you about, or reveal the truth and get her arrested." He crossed his arms, his brows furrowing as he continued. "Although, personally, I will admit that the latter is indeed the correct course of action. Hiding the truth is never the right thing to do." He looked at her. "You shouldn't feel any remorse for what you did, Ms. Sterling. Not to mention, she even said she was tricking you. That isn't exactly what best friends do to each other."

She nodded her head, but he could tell from her face that she wasn't completely convinced. She took a deep breath in and smiled. "Well, I should get going. I'll see you around, Mr. Edgeworth. Oh, and thanks for the talk."

_How can she just brush it off like that and smile?! And I forgot to ask her about that other doctor and the autopsy. No matter. The police will take care of that. I really need to head over to the office._ And so he did.

**Ugh. This chapter was so long and honestly, annoying, but I felt the need to explain everything to tie up the loose ends. I wanted to do a whole investigations thing, with the testimony and rebuttal, but…it wouldn't have worked out for this situation. Technically, this is the 'last' chapter, but I'll be posting an epilogue pretty soon, and it'll be all over. **


	32. Epilogue

**Here's the epilogue!**

******__****Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Ace Attorney series characters!**

Epilogue

It's been two weeks since Apollo and Trucy's return, and the arrest of Sabrina Reece.

"I can't wait for the fireworks tonight!"

"I sure can," Apollo said, his voice not nearly as enthusiastic as his little sister's, almost as if he was dreading the fireworks.

Trucy pouted. "Apollo! What is wrong with you?! How can you not be excited about the fireworks?!"

_Well, it isn't like you have a mini-fireworks display at almost every one of your magic shows. _

"You know the fireworks at my shows are different! They aren't nearly as good as the ones we're about to witness tonight!"

"Yeah, Apollo! Stop being such a sore spectator!" Athena added.

He just rolled his eyes, when he felt someone place a hand over his own. "Apollo." He glanced up to see Juniper smiling at him. "Try to enjoy yourself, hm?"

He huffed. "Fine. I'll try."

Athena grinned. "Nice work, Junie. Now I know what his weakness is."

"Seriously? I came out to have a good time and I'm honestly feeling so attacked right now."

"Apollo. You didn't…" Athena groaned.

"Hey! It's a true statement though!" I really do feel attacked right now!

"Hmph." Simon didn't seem to understand the significance of the statement, and Athena picked up on his confusion.

"Simon. It's a meme."

"A…meme?"

"You…don't know what a meme is?!"

Her incredulous tone annoyed him. "What's the big deal with it anyway? It's probably something stupid!"

"A meme is a phrase or expression or concept that spreads throughout the media, from one person to another person."

"Just as I said. It's something stupid, and of course it was Justice-dono who brought up such an idiotic thing."

"Hey!" _You guys really are attacking me! Please stop! _

"Now, now guys. We did come out here to have a good time, didn't we?" They all turned to Phoenix, who was sitting on the picnic table. "Let's not get carried away with ourselves, unless we want something like the food fight to occur again."

The six people sitting on the red and white checkered picnic blanket on the grass didn't say another word. Satisfied, Phoenix turned back to talk to Edgeworth, who sitting across from him. The prosecutor, after _a lot_ of persuasion from Trucy, Kay and Athena, agreed to join the group on the afternoon outing.

"Guten tag, everyone!" A euro-rock accented person said from above their heads. He ruffled Apollo and Trucy's hair. "How are my nichte and neffe?"

_I still can't believe that Prosecutor Gavin is actually related to us! _Apollo fixed his hair.

Edgeworth had informed Klavier of the information he learned from his older brother, and it shocked the prosecutor, but he wasn't too fazed by it. Edgeworth let Klavier and Phoenix explain the situation to Trucy and Apollo. While Trucy embraced the fact immediately, Apollo took some time to come to terms with it.

"Pretty good, Uncle Gavin!" Trucy replied, a teasing smile on her face.

Apollo smirked when he saw Klavier frown. "Please, Fraulein. Don't call me Uncle. It makes me feel…old. Just Prosecutor Gavin or Mr. Gavin will do."

"Heh. You talk as if you aren't old," a new voice added.

"Ah, I see Fraulein Detective has decided to make an appearance. I suppose we should be expecting a whole bunch of random scientific facts about fireworks, hm?"

"Gr…" Ema had her bag of snackoos at the ready, and her hand was already gripping one.

Klavier held his hands up defensively. "Just a joke, Fraulein. Just a joke. I think you need to loosen up."

"You know what I think? I think you're asking for some snackoos in your face!" She began pelting them at him.

"Nein!"

Simon, Apollo snickered as they watched Ema chase down and attack Klavier with snackoos.

"Girls…" Kay began, motioning for Trucy and Athena to come closer to her. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Athena could hear what she was thinking. "If you're thinking we should get Klavier and Ema to actually get together and stop dancing around their feelings for each other, then yes, we are thinking what you're thinking. Aren't we Trucy?"

"We sure are! As Mr. Gavin's niece, it's my duty to make sure he and Ema end up as a couple!"

"It's settled then! We'll get to work as soon as possible!" Kay declared.

"What are you guys talking about?" Juniper questioned.

"Junie. We're going to get Mr. Gavin and Ema to go out!"

"Oh…that will be difficult though, right? I mean, look at them." They all took a moment to see that the once running individuals were now sitting a good distance away from each other. "Are you sure they like each other?"

"Hm…you do have a point there," Athena conceded.

"Doesn't matter! If they don't like each other now, we'll…we'll…we'll make them like each other! That shouldn't be too hard, right?"

"I sure hope not, Trucy. Although I bet it won't be as difficult as getting Mr. Edgeworth to go on his blind dates was," Kay pointed out.

"Only time will tell," Athena ended the conversation, before the girls began talking about other subjects."

"I can't believe half the summer is already over." Iris sighed wistfully as she looked up at the sky from her seat at the small table.

"You're right, Iris. And just think, in a month and a half, you'll finally be going to Ivy University and start working on your degree!"

"Yeah. I'm really looking forward to that."

"I'm sure you are. Well, I should get going."

Iris saw the woman sitting with her stand up and stretch before picking up a pink tote bag. "Oh, you're going so soon, Serena? It feels like you just got here."

"Yeah, I know. I have to go now if I want catch the bus to get to work." She approached the picnic bench with Iris beside her. "Hey Mr. Wright. Thank you so much for inviting me today. It was nice to get outside."

"Leaving so soon?" He asked, as Iris went to go sit next to him.

"I'm afraid so. The ER is going to get slammed tonight with the fireworks. I can't afford to not be there and help out. I do hope you guys enjoy yourselves though!" Waving at the group, she walked off.

* * *

That night…

"Guys! It's going to start any minute now!" Trucy urged everyone to stand up. And so they began. Huge bursts of multi-colored lights filled the starry night sky, provoking ooohs and aaahs from the crowd in People Park, including the little group of eleven people.

After the fireworks were up, the crowds of people began to disperse and leave. "That…was…AMAZING!" Trucy exclaimed excitedly. "Didn't you guys think that was wonderful?! I loved all of the different shapes and pictures!"

Kay, Athena, Juniper and Iris joined Trucy and gushed about the display. Even Ema was impressed by the display and admitted it to them. The guys just stood aside awkwardly.

"Not a bad display, I have to say." Apollo was the first one to speak.

"You don't praise it enough, Herr Forehead. It was like a Gavinners performance!"

"…Meaning?"

"Meaning it was truly spectacular, Herr Forehead."

"Hmph. I would think that your little rock band's acts aren't anywhere near the quality that this fireworks display is at," Simon inputted, causing Klavier to mope silent.

Edgeworth could sense an argument brewing, so he stepped away from them.

"Hey Edgeworth. What did you think of it?"

"The fireworks? Hmph. I can't say I really care for it; however, it would be ignorant of me to say they weren't a tasteful sight for the eyes."

…_You could've just said you liked it. No need to be so wordy about it. _"I liked it a lot."

"What do you mean the Mickey Mouse shape was lame, Simon?! It was the cutest thing, and the best shape in the whole show!" Athena yelled.

"Hmph. Cykes-dono. That little mouse didn't stand a chance against that magnificent bird."

"I have to agree with Prosecutor Blackquill there, Athena."

"Kay! How could you stick on his side?!"

"Sorry! I have a bias towards birds, particular ravens! And that was the best raven I ever saw."

Simon was smirking when Kay spoke against Athena, but he frowned when she said 'raven.' "Prosecutor Faraday. That was obviously a hawk, not a raven."

"No, no. It was a raven. It looked just like the Yatagarasu!" She punched the air with her fist.

"The three-legged bird? Hmph. Hardly."

"Well, Juniper and I think you're all wrong. I think we can all agree that the rocket-shaped one was the best!"

"Now, now, Herr Forehead. That electric guitar really lit up the sky and was the highlight of the show."

"Of course you'd like that, you glimmerous fop."

"What did you like, Ema?" Trucy asked curiously.

"The one with the spirals!" She replied enthusiastically before sighing happily. "It looked just like a strand of DNA, the perfect double helix."

Everyone stopped to stare at her before returning to the argument.

Phoenix, Iris and Edgeworth just stood by the side, away from the verbal brawl, Edgeworth shaking his head and Phoenix chuckling with Iris, his arm around her shoulders.

"Gotta love this, don't you?" He asked her.

She giggled. "Yeah, I do. Although I hope they stop soon."

They focused back on the group, not knowing just how far their quarrel had progressed.

"My horns are the spikiest, and no one can tell me otherwise!" Apollo yelled nearly at the top of his lungs. After a few replies, he declared: "There is nothing spikier than them!" He crossed his arms, feeling triumphant.

_Hey! __My__ hair is the spikiest, much spikier than Apollo's too! _

Edgeworth heard Phoenix's outraged gasp. "Are you going to just stand there, Wright?"

Phoenix turned to his friend. "What do you mean?"

"What he means, Feenie, is that aren't you forgetting to do something?" Iris hinted, tapping her index finger on her chin.

"It's something I have to admit you do best, Wright."

_Now what could that be? ..._

"Oh! I got it!" Clearing his throat, and taking in a deep breath, Phoenix shouted.

"OBJECTION!"

**It's over. Done. Finally. I got it done. Thanks for reading and reviewing! I appreciate it! If I could have just a little more of your valuable time, please do read the following author's note: **

**I will honestly say that I think this story started out well, but kind of spiraled towards…not being well. I just think my writing sort of deteriorated, and I honestly feel really bad about it. That being said, I am actually going to write another story, but a fair warning to all: it's not really going to be a mystery (there'll be a mystery aspect to it, yes, but it is not primarily a mystery. And almost definitely NO trials. I have come to accept the fact that I write egregious trials that could get me a whipping from Franziska (heh, heh…) The title will reveal what genre it will be; for the record, I think it's one I can do better with than mystery). **

**I really, really, _really_ want to improve on my writing, which is a reason why I do fanfictions. **

**For this next story, I'm going to try to do a little more research and planning, rather than write chapters on a whim, so I probably will be taking more time with it, especially with character portrayals and overall just writing better. I've posted a little sneak peek of what I have planned for the first part of the first chapter of the next story. I sincerely hope you guys will continue to follow me and read it! And even if you don't, that's fine. I want to thank you again from the bottom of my heart for reading this story and reviewing or PMing me!**


	33. Sneak Peek!

_****__Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Ace Attorney series characters!_

_S__even messages?! Since when do this many people call me?! *Sigh* I suppose I shouldn't put this off for later; otherwise, the machine might get full._

An automated, female voice stated: "Message 1."

"Mr. Edgeworth, sir! I just wanted to thank you again for sending that nice gift for little Gary's birthday. I wish you could've come to the party, but he really loves it. Maggey and I...we're real grateful! Maybe I'll stop by the office to pay you a visit soon. Have a nice day, pal!"

_This has to be the fifth time he's said thank you to me. I got the message the first time. Oh well. It can't be helped._

"Message deleted. Message 2."

"Hey Edgeworth. It's Phoenix Wright, in case you didn't know. Just wanted to call and let you know that Trucy's got another magic show coming up in a couple of weeks, you know, if you'd like to come see it. She'd really like that. So…yeah. Hope everything's been well with yo-" He heard yelling in the background.

"Athena! Give that back!"

"Ooo! What's this? A love letter? Let's read it aloud, hm? Dear Juniper, I _looove _you!"

"That's not what it says, and it's not even a love letter! Can you not read?!"

"Knock it off, you two! I'm on the phone!...With an answering machine. Anyway, yeah. Let me know if you can make it. Talk to you later!"

_It seems everything's running normally at the Wright Anything Agency…well, at least according to their definition of normal. _

"Message deleted. Message 3."

"Who was that woman talking right now?! Is she your girlfriend?! I can't believe you'd betray me like this, Ed-!"

"Messaged deleted."

_No! It can't be! I must be imagining things. _

"Message 4."

"This is one of those answering machines, isn't it? Why, back in my old days, we didn't even have phones! Life was much less complicated, and people actually talked to each other in person rather than using these crazy contraptions. The things they come up with these days, I can't-"

"Message deleted."

_No, no, no! How did she get this number?! _

"Message 5."

"You're ignoring me, aren't you?! Oh, my poor, young heart can't bear to handle it! You've grown out of love with me, but no matter, Edgey-poo! I'll be coming to your office soon, and after my visit, you'll be completely convinced to stay with me forever and ev-"

_Nghooh! She's going to come to my office?! I must tell security about this posthaste! I better not erase this message, in case I need proof for the future._

"Message 6."

Edgeworth reluctantly listened to the message, only to have his eyes narrow, almost to the point that he was glaring at the phone.

**That's all I can give you for now, but you can find out more in my next story, **_**The Romantic Turnabout.** **(I posted the summary for this story as the first chapter, so please do go follow it! Thanks!)**_


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